THE closure of Wellington’s Swallowfield factory was confirmed on Thursday (January 15) with the first of its 259 staff losing their jobs in a matter of weeks.

Canadian company KDC/One, which bought the aerosols and cosmetics business for about £35 million in 2019, is making staff redundant in three waves, the first in March, and the others in July and November.

The Wellington Weekly understands just three jobs will be transferred to Scotland, where KDC/One also owns Barony Universal.

KDC/One acquired Barony in September of last year, just two months before announcing it was planning to transfer work to it from Wellington.

The phased transition will culminate in the decommissioning of the Wellington site in 2027.

A spokesperson said the ‘difficult decision’ was made after an extensive review of the firm’s manufacturing operations.

They said: “As a result, we will absorb the production volume from Swallowfield and transfer it to our Barony site during 2026 so we can operate more efficiently.

“Our priority remains supporting our employees throughout this period.”

The spokesperson thanked Wellington Town Council and Somerset Council and regional business organisations which had offered support for employees looking to secure new employment.

They said: “Over the coming months we will be working with them closely, including the economic development taskforce at Somerset Council.

“We would like to thank all those who have worked for the company, past and present, and contributed to establishing KDC/One as a global market leader in the manufacture of beauty, body, and scented living solutions.”

Swallowfield’s closure will be the town’s largest economic blow since the Fox Bros woollen mill closure in the 1990s.

A four-week statutory consultation was carried out with Swallowfield employees before KDC/One could announce its formal decision.

The Wellington Weekly understands some staff began receiving redundancy notices a few days before Christmas.