Dutch meat group Vion has reaffimed that its Hall's of Broxburn processing facility will close, with none of the bids received having provided a "viable alternative".
In a letter to workers earlier this month, Vion said it was still in talks with interested parties over the potential sale of the site, where 1,700 people are employed. However, it added that if a "sustainable solution" could not be found the company would commence a phased shutdown process later this month.
In an update today (16 October), Vion said that, having reviewed two offers over the weekend, it had been "forced to conclude" that neither of the proposals constituted a "viable and sustainable alternative" to the proposed closure of the plant.
Vion chairman Peter Barr said that neither of the offers provided a guarantee of ongoing employment for the workforce, despite its offer of "substantial financial assistance" to support an acquisition.
"This is a very sad day for the company but, unfortunately, the plant continues to suffer unsustainable losses of GBP79,000 a day," Barr said. "Consequently, it is with great regret that we can confirm that it is our intention to proceed with plans for a phased closure of the plant.
"As previously outlined, this will mean that some areas will cease production later this month with full closure expected to take place by February 2013."
