Sealord To Close Factory Amid “hugely Challenging” Economic pressures

Alongside nan mill closure, Sealord is besides proposing changes to nan Nelson Site Collective Agreement. Credit: Sealord.

New Zealand seafood processor Sealord plans to adjacent its mill successful nan larboard metropolis of Nelson, putting 79 imperishable jobs astatine risk.

In a connection coming (5 September), Sealord said it had begun consultations pinch unit astatine nan coated-products facility, wherever 57 accumulation positions and 22 guidance aliases office-based roles are group to beryllium “disestablished”.

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CEO Doug Paulin said: “Unfortunately, for illustration galore manufacturing businesses successful New Zealand that person been forced to adjacent successful caller times, we are likewise affected by hugely challenging economical factors.

Paulin described Sealord arsenic nan “last significant” supplier of stiff coated food products made successful New Zealand.

Alongside nan mill closure, Sealord is besides proposing changes to nan Nelson tract corporate statement pinch unions.

This includes national workers successful its land-based facilities, specified arsenic its wetfish factory, acold store, barren store, and by-products plant.

The closure connection comes aft a year-long reappraisal of Sealord’s operations, during which nan institution scrutinised expenditure, eliminated aliases near office-based salaried positions unfilled, and “significantly” reduced budgets, according to nan statement.

Amid ongoing rescue efforts, Paulin added: “We’re reviewing land-based mill operations arsenic we look astatine really we tin trim operating costs and amended nan economical sustainability of accumulation successful Nelson.

“As portion of this, we are hoping to work together changes to nan corporate statement that will thief support Nelson land-based manufacturing operating.”

Meanwhile, Sealord is “investigating nan anticipation of processing and packaging coated products utilizing Sealord-caught food extracurricular New Zealand successful bid to beryllium capable to proceed to connection its coated stiff food scope successful New Zealand and Australia”, nan connection read.

The institution confirmed nan proposals will not effect its deep-sea sportfishing operations aliases its canned tuna merchandise line.

Staff affected by nan projected mill closure person been invited to supply feedback, pinch nan consultation play owed to reason connected 26 September.

Sealord expects to finalise its decisions connected some nan mill closure and nan corporate statement changes successful October.

The institution has faced challenges astatine its Nelson operations before.

In 2014, it announced plans to trim 97 jobs astatine its Nelson bedewed food processing site, stating that nan mill was “not economically viable” successful its existing form.

At nan time, nan patient projected shifting to a smaller cognition focused connected higher-value products.

Meanwhile, successful 2023, Sealord acquired Independent Fisheries, becoming New Zealand’s largest seafood business.