29 Jun 2009

Samoa Packing to take canning equipment from American Samoa to mainland

10:19 am on 29 June 2009

San Diego-based Chicken of the Sea International plans to repatriate to the mainland the equipment from its Samoa Packing plant in Pago Pago.

American Samoa's Governor, Togiola Tulafono, has said that during his visit two weeks ago to Chicken of the Sea, Samoa Packing, he requested company officials to keep many of the company's assets at the plant.

The Governor said retaining equipment - such as machinery - would make it easy for anyone else to take over production.

But a spokesman for Chicken of the Sea, Mike Rose, said the company plans to bring any necessary equipment it needs to Lyons in Georgia.

Samoa Packing has already dismantled equipment to be shipped to Lyons, where Chicken of the Sea is setting up canning operations, employing some 200 workers.

Samoa Packing is set to close at the end of September this year