Kellanova, which owns brands including Kellogg’s and Pringles, has started discussions with the 360 workers employed at the site and their union representatives about plans to close the factory before the end of 2026.
Explaining the decision, Kellanova’s UK managing director Chris Silcock said that the firm “can’t escape the fact the site opened in 1938”, adding that management can’t see a “long-term future” for the Trafford Park factory.
“It’s laid out in a way that made sense in the 1930s, with food travelling up and down six floors to be made,” Silcock noted.
“With changes in industrial design and technology, you just wouldn’t lay out a factory like that nowadays.”
In response, Mick Murray, area organiser for the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw), described the plans as “devastating news” for staff employed at the factory.
“This iconic site opened in 1938 and was the first manufacturing base for Kellogg’s in Britain,” Murray continued.
Commenting on the upcoming negotiations with Kellanova, Usdaw confirmed it would be working to achieve the “best possible outcome for staff impacted by the proposed closure”.
Closure not related to ‘dedication of outstanding people’
Elaborating and the reasons behind the proposal, Silcock said: “We know generations of families have worked at our Trafford Park site, and the proposal we are announcing today has nothing to do with the dedication of the outstanding people who work there.”
He also confirmed that only half the space in the building is currently in use and explained that “the investment required to maintain the factory in the coming years is simply not viable”.
Silcock continued: “We know this will be difficult for many to hear and that’s why we now want to focus on our people. We will take the necessary time to discuss our proposals with our people and their representatives and show them how we will support them in the right way should this change happen.”
Kellanova’s Wrexham cereal factory and St Helens’ distribution centre are not impacted by the announcement.
