Members from two Timaru families have worked more than 300 years combined at the Smithfield plant, they're now among hundreds of people trying to figure what to do next after losing their jobs.
The Alliance processing plant axed 600 jobs last month, closing its doors on 139 years of operation. Many families have had generations working there and it wasn't uncommon for people to spend their entire working life at the site.
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Two families with a very long and proud history working for Smithfield are the Mobberleys and Holdens, who've worked more than 300 years between them.
Siblings Angela and Nigel Mobberley, and their kids Jayden and Rhys, sat down with RNZ to talk about the five generations of their family that've worked there.
"We've done some years. I've done 40 years, my father's done 50, our mother's done 33, Angela's done 36, " said Nigel.
Including their kids, it adds up to over 207 years and that doesn't even include the extended family. At one time there were nine Mobberleys at Smithfield. "It should have been called 'Mobberley International" he joked.
The factory was like a second home to them, a place where co-workers were more than just colleagues.
"It was one big family... we've got some good memories in there," said Angela.
The tight knit family of four have all lost their jobs, and are having to piece together a new future for themselves.
"There were a few tears when it went down. It's hard, it's all we ever knew.
Photo: Supplied
"Trying to go and do a job interview.. well I've never done one before," Nigel said.
Angela's son Jayden has been at the freezing works since the age of 16, he'd car pool in with his mum every day and has fond memories of her winding him up at work.
"Some days I'd be in the break room. All of a sudden I would hear people cheering, and then I looked behind me and my mother's walking in with a little bag with my name on it, with my lunch, and she would go 'here you go'. And everyone would go 'yea Jadey bum " then everyone up the row of tables would go 'Yeeeeah Jadey bum!' It was mortifying. I never heard the end of it," laughs Jayden.
Angela, Nigel, Jayden and Rhys Mobberley. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
His cousin Rhys was there too. "We had good conversations, that's what I'll miss the most - I'd come to work and crack up laughing," said Rhys.
"The best thing about it was the people and community," Jayden said,
And they had big boots to fill, living up to the Mobberley name.
"You went to work every day because you had to, you didn't dare let family name down. It was very important, we got it drummed into us from our dad," said Angela.
But the meatworks closure has halted their plans to continue that legacy.
"I thought I was going to be there my whole life, be a 'lifer'. I don't think it's fully hit me yet," said Jayden.
Sandy and Mathew Holden looking through an album full of historic Smithfield photos. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Working alongside the Mobberleys for many decades, was the Holdens. When the plant closed, Mathew Holden was the senior slaughterboard supervisor and had been employed by Smithfield for 30 years.
"So I started there as an 18-year-old and just worked my way up on the slaughter board. My father worked there 50 years and my brother worked there 20 years, so all up it's probably 100 years history just between our family alone," he said.
His wife Sandy's father, brother and son were also part of the freezing works whanau.
"It was so family orientated, back in the 80s there were freezing works picnics at the river.. it was a real family culture," they said.
Photo: Supplied
Which is why the announcement it was closing came as such a shock.
"It's really disappointing... It hurt a lot and even just talking now it's really hitting home," said Mathew.
Sandy works in mental health, and is worried that for many workers the reality of Smithfield closing will take a while to set in.
"People are still processing it.. a lot of people have been there a long time," Sandy said.
But the way it all ended has left them feeling angry, as Alliance's Chief Executive Willie Wiese didn't front any of the staff meetings.
"It's a big decision, you're in charge of this business - front up, own it and tell people straight." said Mathew.
RNZ has asked Alliance for comment.
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