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.
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.
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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