Part 5/14:
The closure was cloaked in sanitized corporate language, with Diagio describing it as a “business decision” aimed at “improving supply chain efficiency.” Meanwhile, local leaders and workers saw through the veneer, recognizing that the move was fundamentally a cost-saving measure. Plant workers, many of whom had dedicated their careers and familial ties to the facility, learned that their livelihoods were secondary to multinational financial strategizing. The decision prioritized reducing wages and operational costs— saving roughly $8 million—over community well-being.