Slow Down In Cannery Production Samoa Causes Lay Offs ff

As the minimum wage hearings in American Samoa were ending, Impress Samoa informed that is would be laying off 12 local employees, because of a slow down in tuna production activities. Impress Samoa owns the island’s steel can making manufacturing plant, which supplies both the large StarKist as well as COS cannery.

According to a person affected by the lay-offs, they were given notice that effective last week they are part of a lay off of more than 10 workers and were also told that they will be recalled in three months if “things change and we are needed again.”

An industry source told that a total of 12 people were “part of the cut-back” implemented because “activity has slowed-down” at the Satala-based plant and “could not support” to continue to maintain the workforce of about 100 people.

“When the opportunity returns, they will be called back,” the source added.

Because it was already late in the afternoon locally, an official statement from Impress Samoa's corporate office, Impress USA Inc., in Carnegie, Pennsylvania could not be obtained at press time.

Impress USA Inc. was formed in 2000 following the acquisition of the StarKist can manufacturing assets from H. J. Heinz Co. Ltd. The acquisition included the can division of Star-Kist Samoa.

Impress is substantially owned by Doughty Hanson & Co., one of the largest independent private equity firms in Europe, the company website states.