Maola Dairy Plant in Laurel to Close, Affecting 72 Workers

Seventy-two workers at a North Laurel milk processing plant are facing layoffs by year's end after Maola Local Dairies filed a state WARN notice confirming plans to shut down its facility on Leishear Road, ending a regional dairy operation that has anchored the area for decades.

The phased closure begins June 1, 2026, when Maola will start curtailing ingredients functions at 8321 Leishear Road, with full operations set to cease by December 31. A Maola spokesperson framed the decision as part of a broader restructuring of the cooperative's processing network: "This step reflects how our processing network and milk supply needs have evolved over time."

The Maryland Department of Labor's WARN listing, published the week of March 30, identifies 72 positions at the facility as affected. The notice, filed in accordance with state law requiring advance warning of large-scale layoffs, opens a window for state and county workforce agencies to coordinate re-employment services and retraining support for displaced workers.

The closure adds to a sustained wave of consolidation hitting dairy operations across the Mid-Atlantic, where shifting milk supply chains and cost pressures have pushed regional cooperatives to rationalize processing capacity. The Leishear Road plant has long served as a milk ingredients and processing hub, with a history that includes occasional odor complaints from nearby residents; the site also sustains local truck routes and supplier relationships running through the North Laurel corridor along the Howard-Prince George's County line.

Beyond the 72 direct jobs, the shutdown could disrupt trucking companies and vendors tied to the facility and alter supply-chain patterns for dairy ingredients distributed to retailers across Prince George's County. County economic development offices and workforce development partners are expected to coordinate with Maola on outreach, though specific details on severance packages and benefits timelines have not been publicly disclosed.

Maola indicated it will cooperate with transition services. The Maryland Department of Labor's Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning and Prince George's County's workforce development resources are available to workers navigating the closure. With six months between the first curtailments and final shutdown, affected employees and county officials have some runway for redeployment planning, but the economic strain on 72 households will begin well before the December deadline.