Odlums to shed 33 jobs and to close mill in Cork

THE county’s biggest flour producers have announced they will close their mill in Cork and rationalise operations in Dublin and Portarlington, with a combined loss of 33 jobs.

The announcement was made yesterday by management at the Odlums Group, which said it “regretted” having to cease operations at the mill in Cork city in late September. The plan will result in the loss of 27 jobs.

Oldums said the decision came as a result of increased competition, primarily caused by excess milling capacity in Britain, which was exacerbated by the decline in the value of sterling.

The company said it had to take steps to secure the future of the business by reducing capacity, focusing production and improving efficiencies in the Dublin and Portarlington mills, part of which will involve a capital investment of €10 million at those plants.

Three jobs will be lost at the Dublin mill and a further three in Portarlington.

“We regret having to make this difficult decision. Staff at the Odlums mill in Cork have given great service and many of them have been with the company for a considerable period. We will work with staff in the coming weeks to provide support at this difficult time,” said Odlums managing director Joe Walsh.

He said the company’s products will continue to be available to consumers, retailers and trade customers.

The mill in Cork produces predominantly for bakery and catering businesses and sales are running below total milling capacity.

Mr Walsh said the announcement was an unavoidable and a necessary step in adapting to the changed and increasingly challenging market environment.