Pladis set to close Pennsylvania production plant
The company said it had informed employees in mid-2024 of plans to phase out the Mohnton facility, which is near a larger Berks County plant in Reading.
USA – Pladis, a major biscuit, chocolate and confections maker, plans to shut its Mohnton, Pennsylvania production facility in May.
In a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry in February, London-based Pladis indicated that the Mohnton plant is scheduled to shut down on May 29. This closure will affect 55 employees, as the plant currently employs 60 people.
Pladis, which owns brands such as Godiva, McVitie’s, Ülker, DeMet’s Turtles, Flipz, Carr’s, Jacob’s, BN, Go Ahead, Haansbro, Sultana, and Verkade, stated that this move will allow the company to concentrate its resources on the Godiva plant in Reading and the Pladis North America plant in Big Flats, New York.
To assist employees during this transition, Pladis has promised to provide support, including severance packages based on tenure and outplacement services.
“While this business decision helps facilitate our growth strategy, it is a tough time for our teams. Pladis remains fully committed to our presence in the Berks County region, where the Godiva facility (in Reading) currently employs over 200 people.” the company said.
Founded in 2016, Pladis is owned by Turkish company Yildiz Holding and operates 27 bakeries and plants in 11 countries, employing more than 16,000 people.
In the most recent financial year, 2023, Pladis generated total revenue exceeding £2.7 billion (approximately $3.5 billion) from products sold in over 110 countries. Godiva Chocolatier became part of Pladis’ portfolio in April of last year.
In February, A. Salman Amin, Pladis’s global chief executive officer, stepped down for personal reasons. Amin had been with the company for six years, having joined as chief executive in February 2019.
Sridhar Ramamurthy, chief financial officer, and Tim Brett, managing director of Europe and developing markets, are currently managing the company on an interim basis.
This comes after Pladis announced some major shifts in its leadership positions. David Murray, currently leading Pladis UK and Ireland, was appointed to the newly established position of global chief commercial officer.
Additionally, Mete Buyurgan will become the new managing director for Pladis across Britain and Ireland from his previous role managing the company’s operations in Turkey, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia since 2016.
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