Juanita’s Foods to Consolidate L.A. Production at 120K-SF Facility
It’s the first deal closed for the BIG 4 city alliance
By Greg Cornfield September 17, 2026 3:25 pm
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An 80-year-old food manufacturer is consolidating its Southern California operations into a new 120,000-square-foot facility in Santa Fe Springs, in the first deal backed by a recently formed alliance of four Los Angeles County industrial cities.
Juanita’s Foods will move production from its longtime Wilmington plant to 13100 Arctic Circle in Santa Fe Springs. The deal includes an incentives agreement as well as expedited permitting via the four-city partnership. Records show LBA Logistics acquired the facility in December 2019.
The cities of Commerce, Santa Fe Springs, Vernon and the City of Industry formed the Big 4 partnership in October 2025 as an economic-development coalition to coordinate investment attraction rather than compete for the same industrial employers. Together, the four cities offer about 250 million square feet of industrial space, and host more than 5,000 businesses with a workforce of about 200,000.
The Big 4 cities estimate their combined industrial base generates roughly $33 billion in economic activity.
“This is what becomes possible when cities stop looking at economic development as a competition and start looking at it as a regional opportunity,” Santa Fe Springs City Manager René Bobadilla said in a statement.
Juanita’s said it considered locations around the country before deciding to remain in Southern California.
“We conducted an exhaustive nationwide search before deciding where Juanita’s Foods would build its next chapter,” Chief Operating Officer Jody Jordan said. He cited Santa Fe Springs’ approach to business and the incentive package as key factors in the decision.
LBA Logistics did not immediately return a request for comment.
In May 2025, Juanita’s Foods sold a majority stake to Miami-based private equity firm Apex Capital as part of the founding De La Torre family’s estate planning. The family retained a minority interest and remains involved in operations.
Gregory Cornfield can be reached at gcornfield@commercialobserver.com.
