California drinks manufacturer Manna Beverages has shuttered operations and terminated all employees across two production sites, citing underperformance and mounting debts, according to media reports.
Members of the Nor-Cal Beverage Employees’ Union, representing more than 400 workers at two production sites in Anaheim and West Sacramento, Calif., were informed in a letter Thursday night not to come to work on Friday.
“It is with the deepest regret we must inform you that uncontrollable circumstances will force the company to cease all operations at all locations on October 7, 2025 – and terminate substantially all employees,” the letter stated, as reported by CBS News.
The letter attributed the result to “underperformance of the business and the inability to retain additional capital to meet the Company’s significant working capital needs.”
California law requires companies to give 60-day notice before a mass layoff, plant closure or relocation. In the most recent data available from the State of California, Manna Beverages is not listed.
Greg Ball, president of the Nor-Cal Beverage Employees’ Union, told local media his members were “totally shocked, totally stunned.”
Founded in 1937, Nor-Cal Beverages evolved into one of the largest independent drink manufacturers on the West Coast, specializing in teas, chilled juices, water and energy drinks. Its business also included warehousing and logistics as well as specialized equipment services.
The family-run operation was sold in 2023 to Manna Beverages & Ventures (MB&V), an affiliate of Manna Capital Partners, an investment firm founded by former NBA star and businessman Ulysses L. “Junior” Bridgeman and investor Kevin Attkisson. Bridgeman died in March at age 71.
Manna Capital Partners has continued to invest in CPG production, announcing in 2023 a $600 million investment to create a 100-acre manufacturing hub in Gadsden, Alabama.
BevNET has reached out to Manna Beverage for comment.
This is a developing story.