LEAMINGTON, Ont. – Ontario Economic Development, Trade and Employment Minister Eric Hoskins says he’s “extremely disappointed” that Heinz has decided to close its Leamington operations.
After more than a century operating in the heart of Ontario’s tomato country, the ketchup-maker announced yesterday it will close the doors of its Leamington plant next year.
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The food manufacturer and processor says the shutdown will be phased in over the next six to eight months and will cut 740 full-time, permanent jobs.
Up to 500 seasonal workers hired each year during tomato harvesting season will also be affected.
Heinz has been in Leamington for more than a century, after choosing the city in 1909 for its first expansion outside the United States.
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N-D-P Leader Andrea Horwath calls the closure “a devastating blow” to the workers in Leamington and their families.
And Tory labour critic Monte McNaughton calls it a tragedy that Heinz is closing after operating for more than a century in Leamington.
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