Leprino Foods To Close Ireland Cheese Factory In 2026

Leprino Foods plans to adjacent its Portlaoise food manufacturing works successful Ireland successful nan 2nd half of adjacent year.

US-headquartered Leprino Foods explained successful a statement: “This determination follows a broad information of each imaginable options to amended nan financial and operational capacity of nan Portlaoise site. Despite sizeable efforts, nan level of sustainable betterment needed could not beryllium achieved.”

Leprino Foods. Credit: OleksandrShnuryk / Shutterstock.com

Leprino Foods, which is headquartered successful Denver, Colorado, said closing nan Portlaoise tract will guarantee nan European business tin “remain competitive”, whilst optimising its manufacturing footprint.

The institution added it will supply redundancy packages and profession modulation assistance to nan workers affected.

Paul Vernon, CEO of Leprino successful Europe, said: “We understand nan effect this announcement will person connected our colleagues, their families, and nan section community.

“We want to definitive our sincere gratitude to nan talented squad astatine Portlaoise. This determination does not lessen nan worth of their difficult activity aliases contributions.”

Following nan announcement of nan mill closure, nan Irish waste and acquisition national SIPTU revealed that representatives are to meet pinch elder guidance astatine Leprino Foods successful Portlaoise coming (20 August).

Terry Bryan, business organiser for SIPTU, said successful a connection yesterday: “Our contiguous thoughts are pinch our members and their families pursuing this shocking announcement.

“We person already been successful interaction pinch nan institution and person confirmed that we will meet pinch them tomorrow to discuss nan afloat implications of nan decision.

“We will prosecute pinch nan institution straight to spot if we tin lessen nan effect of nan determination upon our members and their families and effort to research alternatives to nan projected occupation losses.”

Bryan added: “It has only been successful cognition since 2020 and is simply a modern, state-of-the-art facility. This is some a shocking and regrettable announcement.”