The 139-year-old Smithfield meat processing plant will be closed by the end of the year, with most of the circa 600 staff to be made redundant.
After a two-week consultation period, Alliance Group today confirmed its proposal to close the plant in Timaru due to falling sheep processing numbers as a result of land-use change.
Sheepmeat, calves, and night shift venison seasonal processing at Smithfield stopped at the end of September and venison day shift processing will continue until no later than the end of December.
Chief executive Willie Wiese said that, wherever possible, staff would be offered redeployment at its other plants but most people will face redundancy and be paid out according to their employment contracts.
According to the cooperative’s forecasts, it will be able to process its farmers’ sheep, deer, and cattle at its other four South Island plants without the need for a fifth plant.
Fletcher Building’s chief people and communications officer Claire Carroll has resigned.
The company gave no reason for her decision but managing director Andrew Reding said she had been with Fletcher for 11 years and held her current role since 2018.
“Over the course of her tenure, she has played a key role in improving engagement levels across the group through a focus on leadership development, the nurturing of internal talent, and diversity and inclusion strategies, with great strides made in gender balance,” he said.
“I would like to thank Claire for her substantial contribution to Fletcher Building during her time with us and we wish her every success.”
