Groentefabriek Hessing in Zwaagdijk-Oost will close its doors this summer. This is what employees say during a staff meeting this afternoon by management. Hundreds of employees work at the family-owned factory.
Management is said to have informed staff this afternoon that the factory will close this summer. Director Frank Hessing does not want to get ahead of himself yet. “We have two internal meetings this afternoon where we will discuss our future plans. I cannot say anything about it at the moment.”
At the location in Zwaagdijk-Oost, thousands of ready-cut vegetables, fruit and fresh packages roll off the production line every day. The family business now has more than 1,500 employees and various branches in the Netherlands and Germany, making it one of the largest largest suppliers of freshly cut vegetables and fruit.
New factory in Venlo
Last year a new factory opened in Venlo. A project that took three years to complete and has been labeled by the company as ‘the most sustainable factory in Europe’. Hessing wanted to expand the number of production locations. “Venlo was ultimately the most logical choice, close to the largest horticultural areas in the Netherlands and close to our customers,” said director Frank Hessing earlier about that. Some of the employees from other locations are said to have gone to Venlo.
What the further consequences of the closure will be will become clear later.
Family business Hessing has existed since 1968 and was founded by Jan Hessing who cuts the first vegetables in the shed behind his house. The company is growing rapidly and is acquiring companies in the Netherlands and Germany. The vegetable cutting plant grows into a company with more than 1,500 employees and multiple locations. More than 7 million fresh vegetable packages roll off the conveyor belt every week, from stir-fried vegetables to salads and more.
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