WISBECH: Up to 17 jobs to go at Greenvale plant and the economic downturn is blamed

UP to 17 jobs are to go in Wisbech following the closure, announced today, of a potato processing plant.

Greenvale Foods say their plant in Boleness Road will close on June 14 and current orders and some of the equipment will be transferred to their Swancote factory at Telford.

A company spokesman said that "due to tough trading conditions within the potato processing sector, the Board of Directors of Greenvale AP Ltd has conducted a review of group processing.

"This review has regretfully concluded that it is not sustainable to continue operating at current levels at the Greenvale Foods, Wisbech factory, and with no foreseeable improvement in market conditions it has been decided to close this facility."

The spokesman added: "Potential redundancy will affect 17 employees although there are opportunities being offered elsewhere in the group which should reduce this number. The Greenvale group has created in excess of 30 new positions of employment within the last six months."

In less than 10 years the fate of the Wisbech factory has come full circle for in 2001 Greenvale announced what it described as "considerable investments" into the Boleness Road site. Swancote Foods, where Wisbech production is now to be switched, was only acquired by Greenvale just two years ago and supplies the convenience and ready meal market with processed potato products.

Locally the company has a major plant at Floods Ferry, March, but that is unaffected by today's announcement.

Greenvale AP is one of the UK's leading suppliers of fresh potatoes and three years ago won the Queen's Award for Innovation.

Greenvale AP has sites in the major potato growing areas across the UK, resulting in three state of the art potato-packing operations situated in Shropshire, Berwickshire and Cambridgeshire.

In addition to the packing operations, Greenvale AP has sales and marketing offices in Norfolk, Suffolk, Somerset, Hereford and Yorkshire.