Finesse Foods facilities finished

Receivers and managers for Finesse Foods have announced its chicken processing and abbatoir facilities in Bunbury will be shut down within two weeks after a prospective buyer was not able to be found.

The Bunbury processing facility has been operating since 1998, producing raw and value-added chicken products for domestic and Asian markets and employed around 128 workers.

The company's abattoir operation at Dardanup will remain in operation for six to ten weeks, to close out processing of its remaining poultry livestock.

Corporate insolvency experts Delloitte was appointed joint and several receivers and managers of Finesse Foods in November last year, after it was revealed the group owed suppliers around $2 million.

Deloitte's Dermott McVeigh said the company thoroughly investigated the plant's financial performance to see if it could be returned to profitability, and also conducted a national and international search to identify a potential buyer.

"Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to negotiate a successful sale of the business with a prospective buyer, and given the ongoing financial losses incurred, there is no alternative but to immediately scale back operations before closing the business," Mr McVeigh said.

Mr McVeigh said receivers and managers were working closely with the Minister for Agriculture and Food, and other state and local government offices to minimise the impact of the plant closure.