Diageo bottling plant to close after 54 years (150 jobs)

[Omaha Steve]

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/peninsula&id=8176870

Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Karina Rusk

MENLO PARK, Calif. (KGO) -- A bottling plant with a long history in Menlo Park is getting ready to close its doors and it will be a huge blow to the 150 people who work there.

A Menlo Park facility off Highway 101 has been bottling and distributing liquor since 1957. It's owned by Diageo Global which produces a vast array of well known premium brands. The company says it made an economic decision to close the plant at the end of July. Pam Clay is among 150 people who will be out of a job, union jobs that pay between $21 and $27 an hour.

"I'm just devastated. I just can't believe how many years. I mean, I expected to retire out of here and can't," said Clay.

Menlo Park says the closure is not welcome news, especially as it makes impressive gains attracting new business. Facebook is going to shift its operations to the city starting next month.

"If we lose jobs in the face of that growth, our net gain is going to be lower and not something that is good for any of us," said Menlo Park business development manager David Johnson.

Many of Diageo's employees have worked at this plant their entire life. The union says more than 50 people have been here at least 20 years.

FULL story and video at link.

[gateley]

1. No mention if they're taking their bottling elsewhere? (I didn't see

anything in the article, but didn't watch the vid).