Kraft Heinz to close O.C. plant, six others

The newly merged Kraft Heinz Co. said it will close seven manufacturing facilities in North America, including one in Fullerton, over the next two years.

The closures will eliminate about 2,600 jobs. Production will shift to other factories in North America, Michael Mullen, senior vice president of corporate and government affairs, said Wednesday.

The Fullerton factory has 430 employees and produces Oscar Mayer Lunchables, Mullen said.

Other factories to be closed are in San Leandro, Calif.; Federalsburg, Md.; St. Marys, Canada; Campbell, N.Y.; Lehigh Valley, Pa.; and Madison, Wis.

H.J. Heinz Co. merged with Kraft Foods Group Inc. in July. The combined company, the third-largest food and beverage company in North America and the fifthlargest in the world, has headquarters in the Chicago area and Pittsburgh. Both brands have suffered from a slowdown in sales as consumers turn to fresher fare.

“Our decision to consolidate manufacturing across the Kraft Heinz North American network is a critical step in our plan to eliminate excess capacity and reduce operational redundancies for the new combined company,” Mullen said. “This will make Kraft Heinz more globally competitive and accelerate the company’s future growth.”

Employees will receive severance benefits, outplacement services and “other support to help them pursue new job opportunities,” Mullen said.