Crabtree closing
manufacturing,
distribution
111 workers affected
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
WOODSTOCK --- Crabtree & Evelyn Ltd. will be moving its  manufacturing and distribution capabilities out of  Woodstock in January.
One hundred eleven workers are affected. Crabtree & Evelyn will "support affected employees with severance and transition packages," according to Marie Feanny, director of Marketing and PR.
Feanny said the manufacturing will be moved to third-party suppliers. "When you think about it, most (companies) moved to third-party suppliers years ago," she said. She added that the community is "really rallying" behind the workers.
The Peake Brook facility had produced more than 90 percent of all of Crabtree & Evelyn's products.
According to a company press release: "For more than 30 years, through three corporate acquisitions, changing consumer demand for new product forms, business shifts outside of North America, the rise of E-Commerce, and the movement of its entire industry to third-party supply chains, Crabtree & Evelyn continued to produce and distribute more than 90 percent of its products from the Woodstock, CT facility."
Stuart M. Blinder, CEO of Harvey LLC, Crabtree & Evelyn’s Supply Chain division, said: “Despite extensive investment in our people and facilities, it has become impossible to meet the demands of these changes while remaining competitive on a global scale. In order to meet the needs of our consumers and customers, Crabtree & Evelyn must now access and leverage the capabilities of third-party suppliers.”
Feanny said the manufacturing facility is expected to  cease operations Jan. 14 and the Distribution Center will close on April 1. All production and distribution after those dates will shift to third parties.
She added the company will continue to focus on innovation and future growth.

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