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Dairy giant Saputo has announced the permanent closure of its Lancaster manufacturing facility in Wisconsin, US. The closure of the facility is expected to result in costs of roughly CAD 6 million (approx. $4.35 million) after taxes, including a non-cash fixed assets write-down of around CAD 4 million (approx. $2.89 million) after taxes. Around 100 staff will be affected by the closure. According to the company, employees will have the option to relocate to other Saputo facilities. However, if suitable positions are not available, they will receive severance and outplacement support. The decision follows Saputo's announcement last year regarding the closure of its Belmont, Wisconsin, facility. The company plans to shift its production operations from the Lancaster and Belmont facilities to its recently converted goat cheese manufacturing facility in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. Lino Saputo, chair of the board, president and CEO, said: “In line with our global strategic plan, the network optimisation initiatives announced today will increase operational efficiency and capacity utilisation in our US sector, while further improving our cost structure. The start-up of our Reedsburg facility marks another milestone on our journey to strengthen the competitiveness and the long-term performance of our US cheese network.” Both Lancaster and Belmont facilities are slated for closure in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024. You may also like to read: