Brent Baillie would yesterday not be drawn on why he thought Mondelez ultimately decided not to have any of its sweet line made in Oamaru, but said the decision was disappointing.
Mondelez International on Tuesday said its decision to manufacture the products, including Jaffas and Pineapple Lumps, in Australia, was because of the unique requirements of these products, particularly the marshmallow-based products.
That meant it "simply wasn’t possible", to have them manufactured locally, it said.
Mr Baillie said Rainbow worked hard to find a way to manufacture the lollies under contract.
There was nothing special about the manufacturing process that Rainbow staff could not have achieved through minimal investment.
"We completely understand the unique requirements of these products particularly the marshmallow-based products and it is simple to replicate."
He was "gutted" for New Zealanders by the Mondelez decision.
"I’m gutted that iconic Kiwi products aren’t going to be manufactured in New Zealand. I’m upset for the employees down in Dunedin that we didn’t have an opportunity to create future employment opportunities for them, but at the end of the day Mondelez has made a business decision that suits them best and it is what it is."
Supporting New Zealand products "creates reinvestment for sustainable employment. A future for people and a future for businesses. We’re up against a global economy and obviously part of that global economy is the way Mondelez manages its business."
