Managers at a dairy plant closing with the loss of more than 220 jobs say the "vast majority" of their staff have found new employment.

The production and processing units at Arla Foods in Sheffield Park, near Uckfield, shuts tomorrow, although the milk distribution operation remains open.

The loss of one of the area's few remaining major employers - revealed by The Argus in January - came as a blow to a rural community already reeling from 500 job losses in the past two years.

Some staff had been employed at the dairy for more than 30 years.

Arla blamed a competitive dairy market and longterm decline in household milk consumption for the closure, saying its processing capacity was bigger than required.

A spokeswoman said: "We have managed to find the vast majority of staff other suitable employment in the area with the help of a full-time job shop and regular seminars.

"We had looked to transferring people to our site in Hatfield in Essex but that's quite a long distance so we're really glad people have been able to stay in the locality.

"We tried to do as much as we could and are confident most have now found other jobs, although some have chosen to take time out during the summer.

"Morale has been very good and everybody has given their all, right to the end."

About 100 staff have been retained to collect milk from farmers and transfer it to North London and Essex dairies for processing.

It will then be driven back to Sheffield Park to be distributed across the South-East.

About 70 employees left the site in March and approximately another 150 will leave tomorrow.

The plant was mainly used to process milk for Arla's Express Foodservice, which supplied dairy products to clients such as high street coffee chains.

Last year the company sold off Express Foodservice to rival firm Dairy Crest, which has its own processing plants.

Thursday, June 29, 2006