Bonbonetti to close production at Nagykanizsa unit early December

bbHungarian sweets maker Bonbonetti Choco will close production after laying off 64 workers at its production unit in Nagykanizsa (SW Hungary), Choco Bonita, by December 10, Istvan Lakos of Bonbonetti told.Although there were several potential buyers, attempts to sell the plant fell through, Mr Lakos said. More than one third of the layed-off employees are expected to be employed by the bakery Kanizsa Pekseg, operating at the same site. Commenting on media reports about the planned layoffs in September, CEO Sandor Santa said that although revenue was affected, the developments in Hungary were not connected to the problems of Bonbonetti, which has been struggling in the Russian market. Bonbonetti is owned by the Ukrainian parent company Roshen, owned in turn by Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko. Roshen bought out Stollwerck Budapest as well as the Nagykanizsa company in 2004. Bonbonetti Choco had net loss of HUF 9m on net sales revenue of HUF 9.78bn in 2013.