About 180 employees at Brookside Foods Ltd. in Abbotsford have been told the confectionery company will shut down in October, an official of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union Local 468 said today.
A statement issued on Tuesday afternoon by The Hershey Company, which bought Brookside in December 2011, said the majority of the Abbotsford plant production will be moved to the plant in St. Hyacinthe, Quebec.
The remaining production will move to the plant in Robinson, Illinois.
"This decision was part of a comprehensive review of our manufacturing operations to find the most efficient and effective ways to manufacture Brookside products while continuing to meet consumer needs now and into the future," the company's statement said.
Employees at the Abbotsford plant – located at 3899 Mt. Lehman Rd. – were notified on Tuesday.
"We appreciate the outstanding work and dedication of the Abbotsford employees over the years. Their efforts have contributed to making Brookside an international success. We recognize that this decision will impact employee’s lives and we are dedicated to easing the transition for displaced workers," the company stated.
At the time that Brookside was bought by The Hershey Company, it was described as a “chocolate confectionery company with great-tasting products based on a unique formula for making chocolate-covered fruit juice pieces.”
At the time of the sale, the annual net sales of the business were approximately $85 million Canadian.