Netherlands-based Friesland Coberco Dairy Foods, Europe’s largest milk processing group, has announced a series of sweeping changes designed to rationalise the company’s operations. The shake up follows the official formation of the co-op at the end of last year (see DII 62(12)5).
At Frico Cheese, between five and seven of the division’s 19 production sites will cease to operate, with the first closure due at the beginning of 1999. A total of 270 employees will be affected by this.
From the end of this year, the headquarters of the Frico Cheese operating company will be based at Wolvega. In addition, sales and marketing organ-isations will be set up in France, Germany, Spain and Greece. These will require several dozen new staff members, at least some of which will be drawn from those losing their jobs elsewhere within the company.
Meanwhile, butter production at Frico’s Oosterwolde plant will be shut down on 31 December. At Gerkes-klooster, also a Frico plant, butter making will discontinue next month.
A new unit, Out-of-Home, is to be created, based in Ede. It will bring together the activities of Friesland Madibic Food Service, Coberco Zuivel, Friesche Vlag Nederland and Riedel, all of whom serve the hotel, catering and petrol station sectors.
In the Friesland Coberco Food Ingredients division, the activities of Eurospray