Heinz has announced proposals for the closure of its Westwick factory in the UK, which employs 200 people, and says it regrets the impact on the local community.
After multiple shifts in management, HJ Heinz hopes its leadership team can help the company recoup, and prevent rival condiment purveyors from gaining ground.
Heinz has taken a 13 per cent slice out of its energy budget at its massive Kitt Green food processing plant in the UK thanks to work on energy recycling.
An increase in commodity and marketing costs led Heinz to yesterday
report slightly lower margins for the third quarter 2008, despite
sales and operating profit growth.
In a move emphasising the flight of many food manufacturers out of
the UK, Heinz has decided to move production of the HP Sauce brand
to Holland from its plant in Birmingham.
Another shuffle is about to occur in the EU's food processing
marketplace as a Netherlands-based equity firm announces plans to
buy local operations belonging to Heinz and Premier Foods,
thencombine them into one firm selling...
Heinz is the latest company reporting continuing sales weakness in
western Europe, with the US multinational's first quarter results
in the region damaged by falling demand for its frozen and seafood
products.
Strong sales of ketchup helped keep sales buoyant at Heinz during
the third quarter, though a write-down of its investment in Hain
Celestial provoked a 25 percent drop in earnings.
