Unilever has started to transfer production of its Elmlea cream alternative brand from its Needham Market site to its larger, more modern spreads facility in Purfleet.
The vast majority of the 66 staff at Needham will be made redundant, although a handful of staff were relocating, said a Unilever spokesman.
“Needham will close by the autumn. Potential redevelopments there are unlikely to be of an industrial area. The site is quite old and just off the high street.”
He added: “Equipment for producing Elmlea is being installed and tested at Purfleet as we speak and we will be creating several new jobs as production switches over.
“Elmlea has seen double-digit growth in recent years and needs investment to go forward. Purfleet has spare capacity and there are also synergies from producing Elmlea from the same site as Flora and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.”
The switch to Purfleet, which has seen significant productivity gains after introducing more flexible working practices, is expected to save Unilever between £2-3M a year and give a competitive edge to Elmlea that could not be achieved at Needham, even with additional capital investment.