STAFF at one of Wellington’s largest employers were rocked on Wednesday (November 19) to learn their company was closing its factory.

Canadian firm KDC/One bought the Swallowfield aerosols and cosmetics business for about £35 million seven years ago.

KDC/One later consolidated some of its Europe-wide operations in Wellington and said it was committed to trading from the town, safeguarding the jobs of its 259-strong worforce.

But on Wednesday morning the firm called staff together for a presentation in Wellington Rugby Club and made the shock closure announcement.

The company bought Scottish firm Barony Universal in September and now plans to transfer production to the Ayrshire site.

Barony is a premium independent contract filler of personal care and household aerosols which KDC/One sees as strengthening its customer offer and supporting its growth ambitions.

KDC/One president Nicholas Whitley said: “The acquisition came about as part of our continual assessment of the capabilities of our global operations alongside our strategy to drive growth opportunities both in the UK and globally.

“As part of this purchase, we also gained a new modern, automated production facility in Scotland, which made us look closer at our UK estate to ensure it was fit for purpose.

“While we have made significant investment in our Wellington site since it was acquired in 2019, it has become clearer to the board that the current infrastructure does not provide us with what we need to support our future growth ambitions.

“After careful consideration, we propose to close our Swallowfield production site.

“This proposal was not taken lightly, and it comes after an extensive review of our manufacturing operations.

“As a result of the review, we propose to absorb the volume from Swallowfield and allocate it to our Barony Universal site in Scotland so we can operate more efficiently.

“As a major employer in Wellington, we recognise the impact that this proposal will have on the town and surrounding areas.

“Therefore, we look forward to working closely with the region’s business community and local job support and skills agencies to assist those employees affected.”

No timescale has been given for the closure.

The Wellington Weekly understands KDC/One will look to sell its site in Station Road for potential housing development.