Young’s jobs are in jeopardy as the closure of their Marsden Road facility has been confirmed by Sofina, the owner of Young’s. The proposal to shut down the facility was initially made in June 2023, and Sofina has now announced that operations will cease in October of this year. With a workforce of 297 employees, Sofina’s European arm spokesperson stated that “more than 200” roles are expected to be lost.
The current production at the Marsden Road site will be relocated to Young’s factories in Humberstone Road, also located in Grimsby, and Fraserburgh in Scotland. Sofina assures the creation of new jobs at both of these sites.
Unfortunately, the decision to close the Marsden Road factory was inevitable as Sofina was unable to find a viable solution to save it. A Sofina spokesperson explained, “As a result, production at the Marsden Road site will be scaled back and then cease in late October 2023. The remaining whitefish processing will be transferred to the Humberstone Road site in Grimsby, while smoked processing will be moved to our Fraserburgh site in Scotland.”
Initially, it was estimated that up to 280 roles could be at risk, but Sofina has not provided a definitive statement on this matter. The spokesperson added, “The closure has been necessary due to changes in future demand for products produced at the site. We explored various options to maintain operations and preserve jobs, but unfortunately, our efforts were unsuccessful. Sofina Foods Europe has a long history of seafood production in Grimsby, and we remain committed to being a significant employer and a valued part of the community.”
It is worth mentioning that Young’s, founded in 1805, is primarily based in Grimsby but also operates five facilities in Scotland.
In other news, Regal Food Products Group has recently acquired food packaging manufacturer Packaging ‘R’ Us.
