The Diageo plant in Amherstburg, Ont., is set to close in February as part of what the company called an effort to “increase efficiency.”
The facility is one of the Canadian plants that bottles Crown Royal whisky.
The company said the whisky will continue to be mashed, distilled and aged in Canada, but the move was an effort to shift “some bottling volume to be closer to its many U.S. Crown Royal consumers.”
“Diageo will maintain its significant footprint across Canada, including at our Canadian headquarters and warehouse operations in the Greater Toronto Area and other bottling and distillation facilities in Gimli, Manitoba and Valleyfield, Quebec,” the statement read.
‘Shocking and devastating’
The union representing workers at the plant said it won’t let the facility close without a fight.
Unifor Local 200 president John D’Agnolo called the move “shocking and devastating.”
“I can guarantee you there were a lot of tears coming out of that plant, because it’s been a benchmark in Amherstburg. It’s our largest employer,” said D’Agnolo, who represents 160 workers at the facility.
“We’ve got to make sure we fight like hell to keep that plant.”
D’Agnolo said workers only learned of the closure Thursday morning and there were no prior discussions about improving operations at the site.
“They read off a letter to me saying it was a business decision and that was it.”
D’Agnolo said the move is particularly devastating because Unifor has consistently advocated for jobs to stay in Canada amid the tariff war.
He said he spoke with the chair of the plant to learn more about the decision and whether there’s any chance to keep it open.
The last resort would be to seek monetary support for the workers, he said. “But I don’t even want to think about that right now.”
Ripple effects in Amherstburg
Dan Gemus, president of the Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce, said the closure will have a major impact on the community.
“This is the first time Amherstburg has seen a business as valuable as Diageo, the size of Diageo, affecting as many lives as it does, hit here locally.”
He added that families will likely tighten their spending in the months leading up to the shutdown, which will affect local restaurants and small businesses.
Gemus noted that small and medium-sized businesses are already struggling with the impact of tariffs and rising costs. He also said he isn’t confident the union will succeed in reversing the decision, though he believes workers have to try.
D’Agnolo said he wants support from all levels of government to ensure manufacturing plants stay in Canada.