Heinz is officially closing in Leamington with workers punching in a final time today.

Tim Durocher is a skilled trades worker at Heinz and isn’t too worried about his own job prospects after the closure. However, he knows most will be in a tough spot.

“They’re going to go down to $15 [per hour]. They’re losing about $400 a week. That’s a lot of money,” says Durocher, commenting on the Heinz employees who will be filling jobs with Highbury Canco, the company moving into the Heinz factory in Leamington. “I’m sure some people are in the position where, if you don’t have a skill, it changes the whole picture.”

Highbury Canco is employing an expected 250 workers, although some Heinz employees, who did not want to be identified, tell BlackburnNews.com the hiring process favoured those the employers knew and put less weight on the applicant’s record at Heinz.