190 jobs at risk as Shropshire potato packing plant to close
Major UK potato supplier Greenvale AP today announced it plans to close its Shropshire site with the loss of up to 190 jobs.
Bosses of Greenvale AP, based in Tern Hill, near Market Drayton, have confirmed redundancies could be made following a review of its packing operations.
The firm, which also has sites in Scotland and Cambridgeshire, said having three packing sites was no longer sustainable.
As a result it is proposing to transfer all packing and associated operations to its other two sites.
Bosses say one of the reasons for the proposed closure of the Tern Hill site was because the level of future investment required there was greater than at the other two sites.
The Shropshire site has 190 staff and the firm, which anticipates creating about 50 new posts at the other sites, said it would support the transfer of Tern Hill employees to them.
The company is today entering into a 45-day consultation period with employees at Tern Hill.
The consultation period will end on May 12 when a final decision on the company's proposal will be communicated to all Greenvale employees.
If the closure is confirmed, bosses anticipate that production would continue in a reducing capacity until August.
Kate Savage, spokesman for Greenvale, said: "The business is proposing that, following slight internal modifications at the group's sites in Scotland and Cambridgeshire, the Tern Hill site packing operations will be transferred to these other two sites.
"Regrettably, this would mean the closure of the Tern Hill site which has 190 staff.
"The company would anticipate creating approximately 50 posts at its other sites and would actively support the transfer of Tern Hill employees to these locations."
Angus Armstrong, chief executive of the firm, added: "We regret any potential redundancies and will do all we can to look after the people affected."
