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NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Borden Dairy Company confirmed Monday it will cease processing at its North Charleston manufacturing plant.
The company plans to cease production at the Lacross Road plant at the end of May, according to a statement released by the company.
The company said the decision came “after a financial and operational review,” adding the company recently informed its employees and customers of the plan.
It will also withdraw from the South Carolina retail market, meaning Borden products will no longer be available on store shelves in the Palmetto State.
“While the decision was a difficult one, the company has determined that it could no longer support the location’s continued operation,” the statement read. “Borden is committed to assisting the affected employees through the transition by offering notification pay, the opportunity to apply for roles at other locations as well as outplacement assistance to help them find new employment. All employees who remain through the closure date will be eligible for severance and retention pay consideration.”
Company spokesman Fred Stern responded to a question about the famous Coburg Cow sign in West Ashley, which has become a favorite among Lowcountry residents.
“What I can tell you is that ceasing processing [at the North Charleston plant] has no effect on the Coburg Cow,” he said Monday afternoon.
The sign stands in the 900 block of Savannah Highway where it intersects with Coburg Road where the former site of the Coburg Dairy was located before it moved to North Charleston.
Borden purchased Coburg in 2011, but has maintained the famous sign in West Ashley ever since.
At various times of the year, like Christmas and Halloween, the cow is decorated. Lowcountry residents often joke that they can judge the severity of a tropical weather threat by watching to see if the cow is temporarily removed from its base before a tropical system nears the Lowcountry coast.
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