Almost 100-year-old McVitie’s biscuit factory in Glasgow to close
pladis said the reason behind the closure was to ‘address excess capacity’ across its UK and Ireland sites.
The company operates seven manufacturing sites in the region, along with a distribution hub and offices that together employ more than 4,600 people. Globally, its Turkish parent company Yildis Holdings operates 25 factories in 11 countries, with a total workforce of over 16,000 people.
Future capabilities
“pladis is home to some of Britain's best loved brands which have been part of the fabric of our society for nearly two hundred years,” said David Murray, pladis MD of UK&I.
“In order to protect them for generations to come, we must take steps to address excess capacity in the UK. This overcapacity limits our ability to make the right investments in future capabilities to meet the very big changes in our industry.”
Four years ago, Unite Scotland raised fears for the plant’s future, claiming its owner was not committed long term as it had been silent about the investment in modernising the facility, which first opened in 1925 as part of the Macfarlane and Lang’s Victoria Biscuit Works.
pladis countered that it has invested more than £5m over recent years in the site.
McVitie’s presence in Scotland dates back to 1830, when biscuit maker McVitie & Price Ltd was established in Edinburgh.
The GMB trade union has now launched a campaign to keep the factory open, particularly as the workforce at risk of redundancy is classed as ‘key workers’ during the pandemic to keep production going.
“We know this news will be difficult for our colleagues at Tollcross. Our priority now is to provide them with the support they need during the consultation process,” added Murray.
