COCA-COLA PLANS TO SHUTTER its Northampton plant later this year and terminate about 175 workers, according to a recent state filing.
The layoffs will start on August 15 and continue through the end of November, Northampton plant manager Habib Chaudry told the state last week. The plant on Industrial Drive will close on December 15, after the company previously eyed shutting down the facility in 2023.
Chaudry said “it is possible that one or more employees will remain employed for a limited time (no more than 60 days) after the facility is closed to assist with administrative tasks related to the closing of the facility.” The workers are not represented by a union, he said.
It’s the latest mass layoff to hit Massachusetts and drive ongoing concerns about the state’s economic competitiveness, which has become a talking point in the unfolding gubernatorial race. The Campbell’s Company closed its Hyannis facility where Cape Cod chips and Kettle Brand chips are made, and Zipcar announced plans earlier this year to shutter its Boston headquarters.
A Coca-Cola spokesperson said the company is “grateful to have been part of the Northampton community for many years.”
“While employees have been aware of these plans for some time, the company is issuing formal notices now to provide as much advance notice as possible,” the spokesperson said. “The company is committed to supporting employees through this transition, including working closely with the state to identify new job opportunities.”
Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa of Northampton said the focus for area officials will be to find another employer for the bottling facility — not just to replace the jobs, but to identify a buyer that uses high volumes of water. The bottling plant is designed to consume high water quantities, at a commercial rate that keeps residential water bills lower.
“It is our great hope that Coca-Cola can continue to work with us and find a high water user,” Sabadosa said Monday. “We’ve been trying to impress upon them that we need to find a high water user now, not when the plant shuts down, and not have it become a warehouse.”
The loss of jobs is a setback, but not a shock, Sabadosa said.
“There has long been a decommissioning plan for the plant and the employees,” she said.
[Craig Sandler contributed reporting]
