Cremo's doors close, 50 laid off

The Cremo Limited plant at 284 Spanish Town Road, Kingston 11, after it closed down production yesterday. The plant is owned by Nestle Jamaica. - Dennis Coke

NESTLE JAMAICA yesterday closed down its production facilities at Cremo Limited, Spanish Town Road, West St. Andrew, sending home 50 workers.

A statement from the company's general manager, James Rawle, explained the action was, "in continuation of the on-going restructuring of its activities to meet the competitive demands of the new global economic environment".

Employees and their union, the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), were informed at a meeting at the plant yesterday morning that, effective immediately, the "Long Life" milk and "Splash" drinks operations would be moved to Nestle's Bybrook plant in St. Catherine and the manufacturing of ice cream locally would cease. The company will continue to import and distribute ice cream.

Nestle said the move would not affect its purchase of milk from local dairy farmers as the Bybrook plant would purchase the milk normally bought by Cremo.

"Customers and consumers can be assured there will be no interruption in the supply of Nestle's full range of products, including "Long Life" milks, drinks ("Splash" brand) and ice cream," the company's statement said.

Although the company closed down yesterday, Cremo had been operating, basically, in name only since last year when Island Dairies Limited in Priory, St. Ann, bought its pasteurisation equipment and its brand name, Cremo. Island Dairies has also been responsible for Cremo's Buckingham orange juice.

About 40 sales, distribution, marketing and administrative staffers will remain at the Spanish Town Road plant until a new office at Newport West is completed.

BITU spokesman Frank McDonald said the company had agreed to look at possibilities of employing some of the affected workers at Bybrook.

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