La Martiniquaise-Bardinet will shut Dutch distillery Hooghoudt and transfer its manufacturing to Belgium on the finish of the 12 months, leading to job losses.
The genever distillery was based within the Dutch metropolis of Groninghen in 1880 the place it has been situated for the previous 137 years.
Manufacturing will as an alternative transfer to La Martiniquaise-Bardinet’s distillery in Ghent, Belgium. Operations in Groningen will finish on 31 December 2025.
La Martiniquaise Benelux agreed to acquired Hooghoudt in Might this 12 months.
There are at the moment 29 staff working on the Groningen web site.
In a press launch, the distillery stated extra particulars of the plan can be ‘additional elaborated within the coming months, as will its penalties for workers’’.
Though particular person discussions shall be held with staff on whether or not redeployment may be achieved, it was famous by La Martiniquaise’s Benelux arm that the ‘sincere expectation’ is that for many employees, the transfer would result in termination of their employment contract.
La Martiniquaise Benelux has knowledgeable commerce unions of the scenario and has invited them to enter discussions on a plan shifting ahead for the workers.
Hooghoudt makes whisky, genever, natural bitters, non-alcoholic ‘spirits’, liqueurs and lemonades.
Regardless of the choice to finish its operations within the Netherlands, the expectation is that the model will live on as regular as soon as it relocates to Belgium and supply to present clients is ‘assured’ to be the identical.
La Martiniquaise claimed that the standard of merchandise can even stay unchanged, with its facility in Ghent being identified for the manufacturing of Dutch spirits.
Upon its acquisition, La Martiniquaise Benelux had hoped to spice up the Hooghoudt model from its base within the Netherlands.
‘Not worthwhile’
Lieven Stevens, managing director La Martiniquaise Benelux, nevertheless defined why this might not be the case: “The intention was to additional strengthen the Hooghoudt model on location. Sadly, after intensive evaluations of the enterprise, it turned out that as a consequence of sharply lowered volumes, the Groningen location might not be made worthwhile.
“Though this step is important for the continuity of the Hooghoudt model, we realise how far-reaching this determination is for our staff in Groningen and the local people.
“We’re grateful for his or her dedication and contribution to Hooghoudt’s success through the years.”
La Martiniquaise Benelux added that it intends to maintain shut ties with the neighborhood in Groningen and that ‘native companions will proceed unabated, as will contacts with present and new relations’.
Hooghoudt’s basic supervisor Martin Strijtveen additionally commented on the deep remorse of closing the plant.
He added: “We’ve a protracted historical past in Groningen since 1888. Nonetheless, the circumstances (consumption is reducing, the corporate is making a loss) have been so tough that we couldn’t change it to a optimistic consequence.”
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