Jan 14, 2008 10:07 AM

U.S. Foodservice plans to close its Mesquite TX plant in March 2008, with 138 employees losing their jobs. The Columbia MD-based company said the termination of jobs will start March 14 and will be concluded by about March 28, when the plant will be shut permanently.

The foodservice distributor, which has not given a reason for the closure, also is currently closing a plant in Fairfield OH and eliminating 148 positions.

In May 2007, a group of private equity firms purchased U.S. Foodservice from Netherlands-based Royal Ahold N.V. for $7.1 billion.

Ranked as the second-largest foodservice distributor in the United States, U.S. Foodservice has more than 27,000 employees and distributes to more than 250,000 clients. These include hospitals, schools, restaurants, and hotels.