HJ Heinz Corporation is closing its frozen foods facility in Florence, S.C. within the next eight months, resulting in the loss of 200 jobs.
“We have reached the difficult but necessary decision to reduce the size of our North American factory-based employee population by approximately 1,350 positions across the U.S. and Canada in order to consolidate manufacturing and eliminate excess capacity,” a press release from the company reads.
News of the Florence plant closing was first reported by the intrepid Tonya Brown of WPDE TV 15 (ABC – Florence/ Myrtle Beach, S.C.).
According to Brown, the company “broke ground in September 2008, but didn’t fully open until 2011 because of setbacks in the economy.”
Wow … what a run Heinz had in South Carolina!
It’s not immediately clear how much taxpayer incentive money went down the drain with this deal. When we get more information on that, we’ll be sure to pass it along.
We do know the company originally promised to create 350 jobs in South Carolina, and took advantage of generous taxpayer-funded incentive deals provided by Florence and Williamsburg Counties.
“The benefits will be many — new jobs with excellent salaries as well as benefits, and it will change the lives of residents in Williamsburg County and the region economically and socially forever,” S.C. Sen. Yancey McGill said at the time.
Forever … or less than two years. Same difference.
35 comments
Someone will find a way to blame this on John Kerry.
lol… Can I blame him for the Steelers sucking this year?
His wife’s stock ownership in Heinz is now only about .004% of outstanding shares — but it’s still a lot of beans.
It appears Ms. “CarolinaGirl” just did!!!!!
Come on, they broke ground right as the recession hit, and you’re surprised they couldn’t keep this place open?
Any significance to the pic showing packaging for the Middle East with Arabic script?
Perhaps instructions showing how to convert a can of beans to an IED…
… or covert those beans to Islam…
CiC, would that make them Tali-Beans?
Damn, you’re good, Shifty!
Thanks, but you set it up with your post Once I realized that you meant to type “convert” it just snapped out of my head in a clear moment. It keeps my mind sharp.
I see you edited “covert” – sometimes when I am hurried or interrupted I don’t use the correct word and if it is in spellcheck it isn’t flagged. Here is a true example that happened to me three times yesterday and today—
In typing hurriedly I put “puissant” instead of “pissant”. How did that happen, asking myself. Well, the “u” and the “i” are next to each other on the keyboard. But spellcheck did not flag “puissant” as being misspelled. Curious, I looked it up because I’d never known that word. Wow! I definitely did not want to use that word.
(1) puissant === powerful and strong
(2) pissant === insignificant and contemptible
I like pissant better than piss-ant, which my spell check approves. Anyway, the little “pashtuka – in – waiting” is definitely (my opinion) a number (2).
But isn’t it strange that the only difference is a (u)..?
They weren’t minding their Peas and Q’s.
Hey where is Haley she should be rushing out to save the day..
Actually rushing out to save her ass…..
A Spitfire rushes down the runway
A Wide Hipped Boeing just lumbers down the runway
That will be quite a huge task.
Great packaging. Wonder where they are going to consolidate? This can only be Bush’s fault.
What? You are blaming this on the Bush Brothers with a proud heritage since 1908? ….. and how about those Bean Pot Baked Beans – yummy!
As long as they have pork in them the Bush Brothers are safe and do not need to change the packaging.
Excellent observation that Shifty missed — +10
NIKKI HALEY ONLY CARES ABOUT NIKKI HALEY!
Where is SCDEW?
I haven’t purchased a Heinz product in many moons. And it’s purely out of no fault of my own if I consume their ketchup or other products in a restaurant where the product is served in a little plastic cup. Why and since when? Since it was a matter of personal taste. And we now see what an ass John Kerry is making out of himself with the comments he has made against Israel. LOL!! (I had to insert that for flaming fire purposes only. ;o) I’m not blaming this on John Kerry at all. Actually, there is no blame to place. It’s a matter of personal taste. I prefer more clove taste in my ketchup, which is why all of those years ago, I chose to purchase Full Circle’s brand of ketchup. Heinz is BLAND!! And obviously, since Heinz feels the need to downsize or back out, I’m not the only consumer that feels that way.
Actually……..
Heinz “57” is the only sauce I use if I need something to put a little “zinzg” into something.
No other sauce tastes like it.
Now, when you claim the handle of “CarolinaGirl” are you refering to claiming association with the Great state of North Carolina as a “CarolinaGirl” or South Carolina????
Berkshire Hathaway is taking Heinz private after recently buying the company for 23 billion. Theresa Heinz, widow of staunch Republican Henry John Heinz III, is now married to Sec State John Kerry. Blame Warren Buffet for the plant closing.
Which UNION closed this facility?
How many unions do you know in SC?
The public school bus driver union in Charleston and Beaufort that came about with the privatization of those buses…like the SCGOP wants to do all over the state?
I was being sarcastic, seems like everyone wants to blame the UNION when a business closes.
In regards to the bus drivers, I truly wish ALL the school bus drivers were privatized, then we would see how NIMRATA deals with the unionized work force.
Yep, you beat me to it.
it’s gotta be all these damn unions in South Carolina that are the reason the unemployment is sub-par.
All !% of them are the reason for all the ills that plague the Great State of South Carolina.
If this state didn’t have Charleston and Myrtle Beach to use a a piggy bank, the state would rank 50th. in every damn category except bullshit and false pride.
Thomas is correct about the ownership of Heinz (H.J.) Co. All outstanding shares of the company were bought for cash in June of 2013 by a partnership between Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett’s company) and 3D Capital. Mr. Kerry’s wife, and every other owner of Heinz, got cashed out at $72.50 a share.
Any of you who avoided purchasing Heinz products because the woman who is currently married to John Kerry was once married to the heir of the Heinz family are suckers.
Ever spent any time in Williamsburg county? 2 years is a lot like forever there.
The businessmen who made the decision to open it up to begin with obviously did not have a clue about what they were doing.
They were the screw-ups here.
Heinz are also closing their plant in Leamington, Ontario with the loss of over 700 jobs. That plant was established in 1909. A boycott movement of Heinz products is underway.
What is Governot Nikki Haley doing about “JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!”?
Morning News had it hours before Tonya, FYI http://www.scnow.com/news/local/article_0b8e2242-4d48-11e3-bc9b-0019bb30f31a.html