The company behind Crown Royal says it would “engage” in talks for a takeover of its soon-to-be shuttered Ontario plant that’s irritated Premier Doug Ford.
A spokesperson for Diageo made those comments to Global News in a statement Friday after the mayor of Amherstburg, Ont., said Tuesday there is “very real hope” the jobs in his community can be saved.
“Our current focus is on engaging with the union and supporting our employees, and so we do not plan to list the property until after we have concluded negotiations with Unifor,” the Diageo spokesperson said.
“However, if prior to that there were to be a potential purchaser with a credible plan to continue operating the facility … (and) who committed upfront to retain unionized jobs, we would certainly engage in discussions. We have not yet been approached by any such party.”
Mayor Michael Prue told councillors Tuesday that Ford has said there are three companies interested in taking over Diageo’s operation in the town.
The British distiller announced in August it was shuttering its bottling facility in Amherstburg; bottling at the factory intended for the U.S. market would be shifting stateside, while bottling for Canadian consumers would move to its Valleyfield, Que., location.
The plant is scheduled to close in February 2026, affecting 168 unionized employees and potentially impacting the local economy.
“The premier has announced there are three interested parties to take over the Diageo plant. We have been working, in this town, primarily with one of them,” Prue said in Tuesday’s council meeting.
“I’m not at liberty to tell you who they are or where they’re from, but they have made some offers for the Diageo plant, and would be desirous of taking over that plant, along with its employees.”
Prue added that the plan has “run into some roadblocks,” but conversations with several government officials have been ongoing.
“The discussions are going very well and we’re hoping that the proponent who wishes to buy this plant is able to do so. They are also looking at an alternative structure in Amherstburg should Diageo not wish to sell the plant,” he said.
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“If the plant is sold, the plan is to keep all 168 unionized employees employed.”
Diegeo has said the decision to close the facility has nothing to do with tariffs from United States President Donald Trump, adding it made similar decisions in the United States, Italy and Scotland.
A week after Diageo announced the closure, Ford – in a viral moment of protest – poured out an entire bottle of Crown Royal at a news conference to signal his displeasure and bashed the company’s move as ill-conceived.
Earlier this month, Ford escalated his fight with Diageo, threatening to “leverage” the purchasing power of the LCBO and pull Crown Royal and Smirnoff vodka – another Diageo product – off store shelves.
Ford pointed to the $765 million the LCBO spends on Diageo’s products and complained that the company executives behind the decision who decided to target their “largest customer in North America” have “half a brain.”
Lana Payne, president of Unifor — the private-sector union that represents the impacted workers — told Global News in a statement Thursday Amherstburg is an area ripe for investment.
“Our goal is to make sure our members can keep their jobs making great Canadian whisky. We can’t allow Diageo to shut down its Amherstburg plant, abandon 200 dedicated workers, and leave Ontario— home to one of its biggest customers, the LCBO — simply to appease Donald Trump,” Payne said.
“If there are potential buyers interested in operating in Amherstburg, there’s plenty of space in this community, which has some of the highest unemployment in the country, for continued investment and good jobs.”
Prue said the town is working “very hard” to keep those jobs.
“All we can do is wait and see what happens. The big hammer, of course, is held by the premier,” he said Tuesday.
“There is some very real hope that this can all be brought forward and accomplished before anyone is let go.”
— with files from Isaac Callan, Gabby Rodrigues and Colin D’Mello
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.