Heinz announces further US plant closure

Heinz announced on February 10 that its factory in Kent in the US state of Washington will close on March 30.

The plant, part of the Heinz Foodservice division, makes frozen soups for restaurant operators and employs about 100 workers. In a statement, the company attributed the closure to “the difficult conditions in which the company is operating.” As in the case of the Stockton, California, closure in December 2011, the workers are being given 1 1/2 months’ notice.

In November 2011, Heinz reported decreased sales and volumes in its US foodservice business and announced it would close three factories worldwide. This closure is the first of the three.

Soup production is to move from Kent to the plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Source: based on Seattle Times report