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Soy Vay production to leave Sonoma

Eighth Street East facility to shutter

MPK Sonoma Corporation, the Sonoma contract manufacturer of 4.5 million bottles annually of Soy Vay brand marinades and sauces, expects to close its doors in March 2013 after 28 years in business — the facility has made Soy Vay products for 26 of those years.

The Clorox Company acquired Soy Vay brand from its founder, an independent private company based in Felton, Calif. In December 2011. Clorox informed MPK on Nov. 1 that it would not be renewing the contract for Soy Vay products, and would instead start its own production on March 1, 2013. Without the contract, or one of similar scale to replace it, the plant will not be able to remain in operation, said MPK’s president Charles Boles.

Boles is actively seeking a buyer to own and operate the plant and continue to employ its 14 employees, or other high- volume production clients that would allow the plant to remain open. 

The highly automated production facility on Eighth Street East includes 19,000 square feet of production space — newly refurbished in 2007 — with 28,000 square feet of warehouse space and 1,500 square feet of offices.

“We have had a wonderful experience working in Sonoma,” said Boling in a statement. “Our employees have manufactured 56 million bottles of Soy Vay. We tried to do everything right, but it has coms to this.”

More information is available at mpksonoma.com.

  MPK's production room in action.