A chicken factory that has employed people on the island of Anglesey for more than 50 years will close its doors for the final time today. Meat processing firm 2 Sisters announced last month it was shutting its factory in Llangefni.
Today is the last day for workers and a tough day for the island, where the plant has been a major employer since opening in 1970. The firm, 2 Sisters, had said the plant was old and would require significant investment to bring it up to the same standard as its other locations.
Ynys Mon MS Rhun ap Iorwerth described it as a "difficult day for everybody" involved with the site and the wider island.
A spokesman for the Llangefni factory said: "Regrettably we can confirm closure of our Llangefni site on March 31. Clearly this is upsetting news for all concerned and a very difficult time for colleagues at the factory, who we commend for acting in such a professional and courteous manner during a very unsettling and uncertain period. They are a credit to the community in Anglesey and wider region.
"We promised that our key priority was to create as many opportunities and offer as much support as possible for all of those affected by this closure. Thanks to the efforts of our team and the hard work of support agencies on the island, we can confirm almost a third of colleagues have either secured or applied for roles elsewhere.
"This includes 113 colleagues who have found jobs in Anglesey or the North Wales region, and 54 who have either secured or applied for roles in our wider business across the UK. We expect all these numbers to rise in the coming weeks.
"In total, we have delivered more than 1,500 support workshop sessions to the 400 employees who requested it, ranging from CV and letter writing, interview techniques and digital enablement sessions. Whilst we acknowledge this can be no substitution for the closing of the site, we remain committed to doing all we can and are offering additional support for a further month after this week’s closure."
The building isn’t owned by 2 Sisters and is instead in the hands of a related company called Amber Real Estates Investments Ltd (ARIEL). The company have met with the CEO of Anglesey County Council Dylan J Williams and are working with him and economic development to consider the future use of the site.
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