J.R. Simplot Co. officials confirmed that the company will shutter its Heyburn distribution center in a phased closure beginning in August.

J.R. Simplot Co. spokesman David Cuoio said the facility employs 56 people.

“The Heyburn center distributes primarily frozen potato products from our Aberdeen plant by truck to quick-serve restaurants and other food service customers in the West and Midwest,” said Cuoio.

The first phase of the closure will occur at the end of August and affect most of the employees, and the final part of the closure will occur during late summer 2014 and will affect the few remaining employees, the company said in a press release.

“This was a difficult decision and we hate to enact layoffs for any reason, but the business factors that influenced this closure were too great to ignore,” said Mark McKellar, president of Simplot Food Group, in the news release.

SOURCE: Laurie Welch, Magic Valley Times News

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