Hundreds without jobs as Necco abruptly shutters Revere factory

REVERE, Mass. — Hundreds of people are out of work after the owner of Necco announced its Revere factory will be closing.

The company has been making candy in New England since 1847, but more than 200 workers received their pink slips Tuesday. Officials city hall said they’re trying to find these people new jobs.

Jose Rosado got a call from his boss Tuesday and it wasn’t good.

“My supervisor called me and said ‘Necco is done,’” Rosado, who has worked at Necco for 14 years, said. “He said, I don’t know what happened. He told me, ‘I don’t know what happened.’”

Rosado worked at Necco for 14 years. When we talked to him Wednesday, he was leaving the factory with all his things in a cardboard box.

“I’ll say I’m sorry for the people,” Rosado said. “There’s a lot of people no job now, got family, that’s a problem.”

The company announced Tuesday it’s closing its doors and laying off more than 200 employees. In 2013, Boston 25 News toured the Revere factory with Hugh Albert, Necco’s production manager, who at the time praised the company’s loyal employees.

“We’ve got people who have been working for Necco for 20 to 40 years,” Albert said in 2013. “They’ve been very, very loyal to this company.”

But recently, it’s been a rocky existence. In May, the company was sold to Round Hill investments for a reported $17 million. That same month, the Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to Necco after inspectors found serious health violations, including rodent droppings “too numerous to count.”

Maria worked in the factory’s cafeteria with her husband. They have two children and are now both looking for new jobs.

“Yeah, everybody is sad,” Maria said. “Yes, some people cried because they worked a long time there, you know, like 30 or 40 years.”

Revere’s mayor said everyone was caught off guard by the decision to close down.

Round Hill investments said they’ve sold Necco to another candy maker.

But the name of the new owner has not been made public and there are no plans to continue making the candy in revere.

MORE: Necco candy company plant abruptly closes; Revere mayor says city was blindsided

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