Unilever United States Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., said it expects by mid-2010 to close a Breyers ice cream plant in Framingham, Mass.

"Unilever continually looks for ways to achieve greater efficiencies across our supply chain network," noted Steve Rosemary, director of manufacturing at Unilever Ice Cream. "After a long and careful analysis, we have determined that greater efficiencies can be achieved by shifting production to other company plants in the United States. This decision was a difficult one and in no way reflects the dedication or performance of our Framingham colleagues."

Excluding its Ben & Jerry's Homemade business, Unilever Ice Cream's ice cream and novelty brands include Breyers, Popsicle, Klondike and Good Humor. Unilever Ice Cream has other plants in Clearwater, Fla.,; Huntington, Ind.; Hagerstown, Md.; Sikeston, Mo.; Henderson, Nev.; and Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.