FrieslandCampina Cheese announces closure of cheese packaging plant

FrieslandCampina Cheese plans to close down the Den Hollander Food cheese packaging plant in Lochem in early 2016.

It will transfer the activities to the cheese packaging plants in Wolvega and Leerdam. 139 jobs will be lost as a result.

By cutting costs and capitalising on the need for new packaging concepts FrieslandCampina wants to improve its competitive position on the growing European market for sliced and prepacked cheese.

The management of FrieslandCampina Cheese plans to close down the cheese packaging plant in Lochem in the first quarter of 2016. As well as cutting cheese, Den Hollander Food packages cheese in slices, chunks and squares, and in grated form. Den Hollander Food’s current location does not allow FrieslandCampina to key into future packaging requirements.

FrieslandCampina Cheese will invest 19 million euros in Wolvega and Leerdam

An amount of 19 million euros will be invested at FrieslandCampina Cheese in Wolvega and Leerdam to set up new packaging lines and accommodate the relocation of packaging lines from Lochem. In the future, the plants in Wolvega and Leerdam will be equipped to handle a greater variety of cheese packaging formats for both the European and the international markets. The number of jobs in those plants will increase by nine.

For more information about FrieslandCampina, please visit www.frieslandcampina.com.