FrieslandCampina will shut down one of the two drying towers in Bedum near Groningen from October next year. The plant will also concentrate entirely on the production of Demin 90 demineralised whey powder, a basic ingredient for infant nutrition. Production of other products will be transferred to other sites. The restructuring will cost the jobs of 50 employees, 35 of them permanent staff.
The redistribution of production is expected to lead to better utilisation of powder capacity. It is also intended to reduce operating costs and avoid additional investments. FrieslandCampina can use more energy-efficient equipment at other locations. The dairy in Bedum has only recently started producing Bio-Demin 90 as a basic powder for infant nutrition.
In addition to the ingredients factory, the production site in Bedum also includes a cheese dairy. Up to almost one billion kilos of milk can be processed here annually into naturally matured cheese and foil cheese. Cheese production will continue as normal even after the powder tower is shut down.
FrieslandCampina Bedum celebrated its centenary last year. In terms of size, it is the cooperative’s second largest cheese production site. A total of around 285 employees work there, slightly less than half of them in the cheese factory. Until a few years ago FrieslandCampina still had big plans for the further expansion of the location.
