TORONTO, March 23, 2015 /CNW/ - Canada Bread Company, Limited today announced plans to close its bakery in Halifax, Nova Scotia in November, 2015. Products made at the Halifax bakery can be produced at other bakeries in Atlantic Canada where there is available capacity with improved speed and efficiency.
"Our industry is under mounting competitive pressure to become more efficient and this means we have to make very difficult decisions," said Barry McLean, President, Canada Bread. "While this is the business reality, it is hard to make the necessary changes, particularly in a community where we have such a strong presence. We are doing everything possible to ease the impact on our people."
Affected associates will receive severance packages that go beyond provincial labour requirements, as well as personal counselling and ongoing outplacement services and workshops. They will also be encouraged to seek employment at other Canada Bread facilities.
The company will gradually wind-down operations starting as early as June, 2015 and will close the facility in November. The majority of production will be consolidated at Canada Bread's bakeries in Moncton and Woodstock, New Brunswick. The company will continue to produce products under the Ben's brand and deliver the same high-quality products in Atlantic Canada that our customers and consumers have come to expect.
The bakery in Halifax is a 50,000 square-foot facility that employs approximately 105 associates. The bakery produces sliced breads and English muffins primarily under the Ben's, Dempster's, Villaggio and private label brands.
Canada Bread Company, Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo since May 2014, is a leading producer and distributor of packaged fresh bread and bakery products with brands such as Dempster's®, Villaggio®, POM®, Bon Matin®, Ben's®, Healthy Way®, McGavins® and Vachon®. In business for more than 100 years, the Company operates 17 bakeries and employs approximately 4,400 associates across Canada. It distributes its products through a network of more than 1,000 routes operated by independent operators and some Corporate Associates. For more information, please visit www.canadabread.com.
SOURCE Canada Bread Company, Limited
To coordinate an interview with a Canada Bread spokesperson on Monday, March 23rd, please contact: Sylvia Sicuso, Communications Manager, 416-626-4316, [email protected]
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