Report: 110-year-old Berkeley Farms closes for good

Berkeley Farms was founded in 1910 by French immigrants John and Mary Sabatte and will be closing at the end of April 2020 by its parent company Dallas-based Dean Foods. Berkeley Farms was founded in 1910 by French immigrants John and Mary Sabatte and will be closing at the end of April 2020 by its parent company Dallas-based Dean Foods. Photo: Google Maps Photo: Google Maps Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Report: 110-year-old Berkeley Farms closes for good 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A 110-year-old dairy producer in Hayward is shutting operations.

Berkeley Farms was founded in 1910 by French immigrants John and Mary Sabatte and will be closing at the end of April by its parent company Dallas-based Dean Foods, according to KTVU.

Dean Foods purchased Berkeley Farms in 1998. Before the sale, the dairy brand and milk producer was considered the largest independent dairy products company in Northern California.

Dean Foods told KTVU that the company had hoped "to sell the business in order for daily operations and employment to continue there," but there has been a lack of interest. As a result, several hundred East Bay employees will lose their jobs.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Dean Foods said California-based Producers Dairy purchased the Berkeley Farms trademark.

Dean Foods was struggling long before the COVID-19 crisis began impacting the U.S. economy this year. The food and beverage company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2019. At the time, Dean Foods said Americans were drinking less milk and turning to alternative products such as almond and soy milk, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

SFGATE reached out to Dean Foods for comment and will update the story if we hear back.

Amy Graff is a digital editor for SFGATE. Email her at agraff@sfgate.com.