As a result of this intended decision, the plant in Dronrijp, which currently produces several powder products, will be closed as of April 1, 2022. The whey and milk powder tower in Gerkesklooster will be discontinued on January 15, 2021. Gerkesklooster will continue to produce other dairy products such as cheese.
The discontinuation of powder production at both locations will result in a total of 57 redundancies.
Both decisions are in line with the acceleration of FrieslandCampina’s strategy 'Our Purpose, Our Plan' announced in November to reduce structural overcapacity through plant closures or by relocating production volumes. The discontinuation of the activities in Dronrijp and Gerkesklooster fits in this strategy and will contribute to the announced cost savings, the company said.
The powder production in Gerkesklooster served as an emergency milk processing facility in the event of a failure elsewhere in the network. The powder products produced in Dronrijp for use in infant nutrition, medical nutrition and sports nutrition will be produced in other FrieslandCampina production locations.
The facility in Dronrijp is part of the production network of FrieslandCampina Ingredients and that in Gerkesklooster of FrieslandCampina Dairy Essentials.
Herman Ermens, president of FrieslandCampina Ingredients, said, “Our intended decision to discontinue the powder production in Dronrijp and to relocate these volumes elsewhere in our network came about after careful consideration. We looked at current production capacity and future market developments. I am aware that this decision will have a big impact on the involved employees and we will, of course, provide them with proper guidance and support during this process.”
Hans Meeuwis, president of FrieslandCampina Dairy Essentials, said, “We are continuously looking for ways to further improve our position with regard to milk processing, value creation and cost optimization. Needless to say, we do this with all interests in mind and concern for all employees involved. This step fits in with the further improvement of our position. As a site, Gerkesklooster remains important for the production of other dairy products such as cheese.”
