Suffolk: Hundreds Of Jobs Could Be Lost If Factory Closes

14 August 2013, 12:07 | Updated: 14 August 2013, 12:32

Hundreds of people could lose their jobs if food group 2 Sisters decides to close one of its sites near Stowmarket.

It's in talks to close its poultry factory at Haughley Park in Suffolk. The site produces roasted chicken for supermarkets. It was taken on by the business in 2005 and developed both the roast and coated chicken products. In 2011, the coated side of the business was relocated to the business’s site in Thetford.

Bosses are holding a 45-day consultation period to decide whether the closure should go ahead. 2 Sisters Food Group has operations in Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex with sites at Eye, Flixton, Witham, Basildon and Thetford. They currently employ more than 2,000 people.

They're hoping to relocate employees to other sites to avoid making job cuts.

Olivier Goudineau, Divisional Managing Director, said: "We are totally committed to producing the highest quality food for consumers in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way.

“Sadly, Haughley Park is an ageing site with many challenges and it does not enable us to fulfil our commitment to sustainable manufacturing.

“Our immediate priority now is to have meaningful discussions with our colleagues during this consultation period to see if other solutions can be found.”