Food producer Vion has announced plans to close a Dutch pork processing plant in a bid to further consolidate production.
The company said that production at its Helmond site will be transferred to its Boxtel facility, 36km north of the site, with 130 jobs expected to go. 'Vion will do the utmost to reassign staff internally', the company said.
The decision to close the site comes as a result of Vion Food Group’s restructuring program, which was announced on 24 April 2013. "This efficiency measure is necessary to restore results on the highly competitive pork market," Vion said.
The group recently embarked on a restructuring program that has seen the company separate its food and ingredients divisions in an attempt to improve profitability at its struggling food business.
Vion is currently restructuring its operations in Germany and the Netherlands, where it is looking to reorient its focus towards beef and pork markets.
The food and ingredients group, which produces foodstuffs for both human and animal consumption, employs some 21,000 members of staff around the world.
© 2013 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine by Ellen Lunney
