US meat giant Tyson Foods is said to be planning to close a UK facility with the loss of 71 jobs.

In a statement, the trade union Unite said it can “confirm” that Tyson’s meat and poultry facility at Wrexham, north Wales, will close at the end of this month.

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Tyson took over the business 12 months ago from Brazilian meat heavyweight BRF as part of a deal to acquire that company’s European assets.

Unite revealed it has been in consultation with Tyson for the last month and it was hoped that a buyer for the site could be found but said Tyson has now confirmed it is proceeding with the closure. 

Jo Goodchild, Unite Wales regional officer, said: “This is devastating news for a loyal and dedicated workforce. The economy of north-east Wales has seen a succession of large-scale redundancies in recent months and today’s news is more bad news for the local area.

“This site was first opened in 1962 under Frimbo Foods and is one of the main employers in the locality of Llay in Wrexham. Some employees have worked at the site in excess of 40 years.”

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just-food has asked Tyson for confirmation of its plans.

just-food’s interview pages, August 2020: “The timing was less than optimal” – Tyson’s Brett Van de Bovenkamp on European foodservice launch and wider ambitions

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