A subsidiary of Nestle, the multinational food corporation, is closing a coffee plant in Freehold, New Jersey, after 75 years of operation and reportedly sending production to Mexico.
Nestle’s Freehold coffee plant will close in November, the company confirmed to NJBIZ, and lay off about 200 employees.
“We’ve made significant investments in Freehold over the years, but the factory’s many challenges, specifically its age and limited operational flexibility, would cost tens of millions in additional investments to make it viable,” a Nestle spokesperson told NJBIZ. “How consumers drink coffee is constantly evolving and our manufacturing network must be set up to meet the needs of consumers now and long into the future.”
Teamsters Local 11 President Michael Curcio said employees at the coffee plant were told their jobs would be eliminated and the facility would close by November. Production, he said, will move to Mexico, where Nestle has a number of plants.
“Nestle took advantage of New Jersey taxpayer subsidies, built a $340 million facility in Mexico, and will now exploit cheaper labor in another country at the expense of New Jersey workers — this is nothing short of disgusting corporate greed,” Curcio told NJBIZ.
Employees protested last week, demanding Nestle keep the plant open instead of outsourcing production to Mexico:
As the Teamsters union notes, Nestle raked in $17 billion in profits last year while taking $14.5 million in taxpayer-funded subsidies in New Jersey. Nestle’s CEO took in $11.5 million in 2022.
“This company should be ashamed for turning their backs on workers in Freehold and the community that has been home to this company for more than 70 years,” Curcio said.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.