Kraft To Close One Cadbury Plant In UK
KRAFT FOODS INC said last month
that it will close Cadbury's Somerdale plant in the United Kingdom
as the British chocolate company originally planned, saying the
plans were too far advanced to reverse.
Kraft, which got final approval last month
to acquire Cadbury, previously said it hoped to keep the facility
open.
But Kraft, based in Northfield, Illinois,
determined during extensive talks with Cadbury leaders that the
process of closing the facility was too far along and will close it
by 2011 as planned.
Kraft did not immediately disclose how many
workers will be affected at the plant in Keynsham, near Bristol.
The company said Cadbury had already
invested $157m in building new production facilities in Poland and
the majority of its lines have been transferred there - or will be
by midyear.
Kraft's acquisition of Cadbury had many
workers and unions worried about job cuts. But Kraft said it remains
committed to investing £30m to improve its factory in Bournville and
will review its combined manufacturing network over the next six
months. |
