TROIS-RIVIERES, QUEBEC
Saputo has announced that it will be officially closing its Trois-Rivieres milk processing plant in August 2015.
Saputo says that the move has become necessary because the outdated equipment used by the Trois-Rivieres plant cannot be upgraded to the level of the equipment at Saputo's other 25 Canadian dairy processing plants.
So far, company spokespeople have declined to issue a statement about the expecting closing and severance costs associated with the change. However, Saputo has stated that it will be working to transfer the manufacturing load of the Trois-Rivieres location to other plants in the Saputo network after the closure.
According to Global News, Saputo has said that it plans on opening up opportunities for workers to apply and obtain jobs at other Saputo locations, provided that the workers have the proper qualifications and are wiling to relocate. There is currently no official word on how many employees the company will be able to rehire.
The Trois-Rivieres location was built in the early 20th century, Global News reveals, and was acquired by Saputo in 1997.
Stay tuned to DeliMarket TV for future updates on Saputo and the North American milk and cheese industries.