Burton's Foods to shut Moreton factory with 342 job losses
A MAJOR Merseyside biscuit manufacturer today announced it will shut its site with 342 job losses.
Burton’s Foods revealed the results of a business review and said it plans to close its Moreton factory, where it makes Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels.
The firm said it wants to outsource chocolate refining “subject to commercial viability”.
It now plans a £7m investment in its facilities in Edinburgh and Llantarnam.
It also announced its multi-site distribution operations in Knowsley will be consolidated into a single site.
Ben Clarke, chief executive, said: “The proposed job losses are deeply regrettable but, along with the £25m investment we are making in our UK manufacturing capability, will help deliver sustainable profitable growth in the company in a highly competitive and challenging market.”
Wallasey MP pledges to fight shock Burton's Foods closure
Wallasey MP Angela Eagle has pledged to fight the shock closure of Birton's Foods.
Ms Eagle told the Globe: "Local people feel shocked and betrayed after Burton’s Foods decision to announce the complete closure of the biscuit factory in Morton with the loss of 342 local jobs.
"The company intend to phase down production from March before completing the closure later in 2011 and moving production elsewhere.
"This comes after the local Tory led council cuts meant that 369 jobs were lost in the run up to Christmas with another 100 going in the coming months and another 700 more under consideration."
Ms Eagle added: "It is a huge blow to our community, this is the largest private sector employer in the constituency and they have decided to close this plant at a time when the job market is deeply depressed leaving 342 families struggling after Christmas.
"I will pledge to work during the consultation to persuade them to change this decision.
"Over the years we have given endless support to the plant injecting public money to keep it going and secure those jobs and it is a devastating blow that they turn around today and do this to Morton.
"We had the Prime Minister in Wallasey last week on his growth tour, there’s little sign of this government's reckless gamble with the economy working here."
Wallasey MP Angela Eagle hmmmmmmmmmm .......... you cannot even spell Moreton! Do you remember where it is love? Wanna buy a map? Cos you could probably claim it back as expenses.
Give the new government a bloody chance cos they have only just started to unravel all the dirty deeds from your 'new labour'
They shift factories around to where they get the biggest grants to relocate (they did it with Fibreglass on Gautby Road years ago and relocated to Wales). As for Ms Eagle, do me a favour you expense fiddler but working within the rules. Your lot caused the problem by not having a sound economic plan in the first place you moron.
The company I work for does , or at least did do a lot of work on the site for years and I know it very well so it comes as no surprise to me at all. The site has been on a wind down for years. We have been involved in removing most of the old production lines over the past few years. Its been very sad to watch its demise. When I first worked there on my first day as an apprentice in the mid 90s crowds of people used to come and go between shifts now its like a ghost town. A and B block have been empty for ages with just c block running half full. Everything on the left hand side of the road that runs through it as far back as Manor Bakeries has been empty for about 2 years. Manor bakeries and Typhoo are staying as far as I know.
I don't know about that. They are separate company's.
Heres B block a year ago with the production lines ripped out. Well the last remaining oven is in the background but it was in the process of being removed at the time.
That looks so weird !!! Spent a few years in there before going into "A" block ! Had quite a few laughs , couldnt really call it work !! So sad how its been left !!
I have some of "A" block too plus old photos of it when it was new and being built. Perhaps a theme for a thread in the history section in the near future.