70 workers laid off with closure of major Coast factory

SEVENTY workers have been left shattered after a major Sunshine Coast factory announced it is closing down.

FILE PHOTO: Homestyle Bake will close its Kunda Park factory by September 30. Picture: Tara Miko EME101112cartheft047

SEVENTY workers have been laid off after a major Sunshine Coast factory announced it is closing its doors.

Homestyle Bake told its staff yesterday that it would not be renewing its Kunda Park lease, with those operations to be relocated to Sydney.

The company's operations at Toowoomba, at which it is based, will not be affected.

Most of the Sunshine Coast workers are casual but the 20 full-time employees will be paid entitlements and have been offered redeployment to Toowoomba or Sydney.

In 2013 Buderim Baking Company was purchased by Homestyle Baking Company, an affiliate of Homestyle Bakeries, as part of "a long term strategy" to expand the company's reach beyond the Sunshine Coast.

The company employs 280 staff across the Coast and Toowoomba.

It supplies products to schools, hospitals, restaurants, supermarkets, social and sporting groups from south east Queensland to northern New South Wales.

The Kunda Park factory will be closed once the lease expires on September 30.

Originally published as 70 workers laid off with closure of major Coast factory