23 October 2009 - Cargill Texturizing Solutions, a Cargill food ingredient business, is planning to invest 2 million euro over the next 2 years in the modernisation of its xanthan gum and carrageenan facility located in Baupte, France.
The investment will be part of a reorganisation plan being put in place at the Baupte facility, which currently employs 310 people.
According to a Cargill spokesperson, the reorganisation plan was carried out to improve efficiency at the site, which had been underperforming in recent months.
The head of Cargill France, Jean-Pierre Briceno, had already informed the site's workers of the plan in June and introduced a 'congé de mobilité'* enabling volunteers to be reclassified within Cargill France.
The Cargill spokesperson told FLEXNEWS that further to the reorganisation between 20 and 40 layoffs are expected.
Cargill acquired the Baupte plant in 2006 as part of the purchase of Degussa's food ingredients business. The acquisition also included other texturizing and flavouring facilities throughout France: in Grasse, Redon, La Ferte-sous-Jouarre and Lannilis.
* "Congé de mobilité is time off or leave favouring a return to stable employment for all employees affected by a project of redundancy, using measures of support, training and work placement periods. It thus enables the employee to make use of support measures before the termination of his/her contract, and possibly integration into a new position".