About 100 employees will lose their jobs when H.J. Heinz Co. closes a Kent frozen soup plant March 30.
The plant manufactures frozen soup that is distributed to restaurants through the Foodservice division of Pittsburgh-based Heinz. Production will be moved to a Heinz plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, according to a Feb. 13 email from Heinz spokeswoman Jessica Jackson.
“In November, Heinz announced additional global initiatives to further address the difficult conditions in which the company is operating, which included the expected closure of another three factories worldwide,” Jackson said. “As part of these additional initiatives, Heinz has reached the difficult, but necessary decision to cease production in its Kent facility.”
The plant is at 26401 79th Ave. S., in south Kent. Heinz did not announce which of its facilities would close until recently.
“Any decision affecting its employees is one that Heinz takes very seriously, and is made only after careful consideration,” Jackson said. “Heinz is committed to making this transition as smooth as possible for the impacted employees and will provide separation benefits and outplacement services to them.”
U.S. Foodservice, the Heinz division that serves restaurant operators, has continued to take hits from commodity increases and lackluster dining-out trends, according to a Nov. 19 story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“Heinz remains committed to continuing its leadership in both the frozen soup category and the Foodservice industry and is better positioned to do so with a more focused, efficient and effective supply chain footprint,” Jackson said about the closure of the Kent plant.
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