High Liner Foods announced on Friday that it will cease operations at its Malden, Mass., manufacturing facility in the second quarter of 2015, a move that includes laying off 50 employees.
The lease for the facility expires in December 2015. High Liner seeks to reduce excess capacity across its U.S. facilities and will concentrate its operations at its four owned and operated sites in Portsmouth, N.H.; Newport News, Va.; New Bedford, Mass.; and Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, where the company is headquartered.
“The Company recognizes this is a difficult day for the employees who work at the Malden plant and their families. High Liner Foods has been operating this facility since acquiring Viking Seafoods in 2010 and we were extremely fortunate to have inherited such a dedicated and hard working team of employees," said Keith Decker, President and Chief Operating Officer of High Liner Foods.
“While the decision to cease production at one of our facilities has been difficult, it is necessary to ensure High Liner Foods' continued ability to grow and compete in a highly competitive and price sensitive market place. Fifty full time employees currently work at the Malden facility, some of whom will be moved directly to positions at other facilities and the remaining employees will have the opportunity to apply for open or new positions at our Portsmouth and New Bedford facilities."
The company said the Malden site was its most underutilized manufacturing facility with annual production of approximately 11.5 million pounds that is being transitioned to New Bedford and Portsmouth.
