Harvey Beef axes 18 employees

Harvey Beef has sacked 18 of its workers as part of an ongoing review into the company's operations.

A Harvey Beef spokesperson confirmed to WA Business News the latest staff redundancies took place on Friday.

Last week, chief executive Michael Rapattoni stood aside as the company began a massive operational review following last month's nine-day closure of its meat processing plant.

The temporary shut-down was to allow the company to reduce stock levels after customers were finding it hard to open lines of credit due to the global financial crisis.

The company has had a number of changes in ownership and management since it passed from the ownership of family run E.G. Greene Group into the administration of Ferrier Hodgson in 2006.

Offshore private equity funds Stark Investments and Harmony Capital bought the company in March of that year.

Senior executives Dean Goode and Tony Munns will transfer from a Harmony-owned Queensland abbatoir, Kilcoy, to take over the restructure of Harvey Beef.