LISTOWEL, Ont.: The closure of this southwestern Ontario community’s largest employer could have a devastating ripple effect on the local economy, business leaders and local residents say.
The Campbell Co. of Canada told workers that the food manufacturing plant—a fixture in the area for 48 years—will close within a year, taking about 500 jobs with it.
“It’s scary how big this is going to be,” Tami Chauvin, general manager of the North Perth Chamber of Commerce, said as news of the decision to shut down the Campbell’s plant spread.
“We are a fairly well-established, well-served community. There have been other plant closures but nothing in recent history, so this really is quite a blow.”
Listowel has a population of about 6,000, representing half the Municipality of North Perth, to which the town belongs.
Campbell’s plans to shift production of the frozen foods made in Listowel to other North American contractors and a company plant in Pennsylvania.
A fifth of the employees will likely be offered early retirement packages.
After Campbell’s, the largest employers are yarn manufacturer Spinrite Inc. and auto-parts company Listowel Technologies Inc.