Jobs blow to Sligo food factory closure

The northwest suffered another jobs blow yesterday with the news that 59 jobs are to go at Platters Food company, part of the Kerry Food group.

The 59 full-time workers at the plant in Finisklin, Sligo, have been told they can be redeployed to other outlets in the group.

The company said the decision to shut the Sligo operation, which specialises in salad and dessert products, was due to the lack of expansion potential at the factory.

The facility will now be transferred to a Kerry Food premises in Dublin.

Platters was established in Sligo by local businesswoman Bernie Butler in the 1980s and was taken over by the Kerry Food group in 2001.

Frank Hayes, director of corporate affairs with Kerry Food, said the ending of the long association of Platters with Sligo was unfortunate, but the company needed to invest in and expand its services.

He said that the company wanted to develop the salad part of the operation, and that this was not feasible in Sligo because of the lack of adequate space for expansion.

Local politicians called for a jobs taskforce for Sligo last year following a spate of job losses.