Factory closing ‘premature’

Press, 9 August 1980, Page 11

Factory closing ‘premature’

The closing of the.Barrys' Bay dairy factory was premature and difficult to understand, said the chair-j man of the Akaroa County! Council (Mr T. J. Brocherie). | Mr Brocherie, who supplied the factory for 251 years, was a director for 14! years and chairman fori seven, said people in the district, and especially the! staff, were amazed when thei: closing was announced at ai meeting of suppliers on August 1. > “There had been absolutely no warning of this and the staff and suppliers i would have had no reason to I think.:, the factory would i close.: After all, extensions Ito the factory were being made a week or two ago in I preparation for the new season,” he said. . I He said he was sure the factory could have continued another season. . ! • The factory had been freeholded, new packing equipment worth $20;000 installed'

1 only weeks ago, and prospects for the coming season looked satisfactory, he said. i Only action from the comi pany’s 23 suppliers (18 cow- ! milkers and five sheep-milk-ers) could stop the closing. i Mr Brocherie said most i people assumed the supi pliers would have the final say about • tlae future of the I factory, but they were not I notified. i . He said perhaps the decision to close had been influenced by the lack of initial sticcess with the . selling of the .fetta cheese the company made from- sheep’s milk. Fetta cheese was a new product on the market and difficultieswere inevitable to . begin with but “they should have stuck with it just as we had to when Barrys Bay cheddar was first offered on the open market. “This ,is a hastily made decision and indecently l’ wrong,” Mr Brocherie said.