Ornua has announced it will close its dairy ingredients plant at Whitchurch in northwest England.

Following a major review of its European dairy ingredients operations, Ornua confirmed on Tuesday it will shutter the plant and transfer production to its nearby cheese ingredients facility in Nantwich. The closure of the Whitchurch facility will streamline costs in Ornua’s UK ingredients business.

Ornua said it anticipates the majority of the 90 employees at its Whitchurch plant will transfer to the Nantwich facility.

In 2017, Ornua’s UK ingredients business racked up pre-tax losses of more than £430,000 (€480,000). The business had sales of close to £104m (€115m) but made an operating loss of just under £16,000 (€18,000). Accounts for the 2018 financial year have yet to be filed by Ornua’s UK ingredients business.

Simplifying and consolidating

“It is with much regret, that we have announced our proposal to cease operations at our Whitchurch site and transfer the production to our nearby, well-invested Nantwich cheese ingredients facility," said managing director of Ornua Ingredients Europe Joan Bombardo.

"The proposal follows a major review of our business which concluded that by simplifying and consolidating our production facilities we will be more streamlined, more customer focused and be able to respond more effectively to market opportunities.”