Costco has removed Palmetto Cheese off the shelves of its 120 stores nationwide after its founder called the Black Lives Matter Movement a “terror organization.
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Brian Henry, the founder of Palmetto Cheese and mayor of Pawleys Island, South Carolina wrote a Facebook post on August 25, expressing that he was “sickened by the senseless killings in Georgetown.”
“2 innocent people murdered. Not 2 thugs or people wanted on multiple warrants. 2 white people defenselessly gunned down by a black man,” wrote Henry.
“So why do we stand by and allow BLM to lawlessly destroy great American cities and threaten their citizens on a daily basis … This BLM and Antifa movement must be treated like the terror organizations they are.”
The now deleted controversial post prompted calls for boycott against the brand.
Henry reportedly apologized for his comments at a press conference held earlier this month, acknowledging that it is “hurtful and insensitive.”
He also urged the people calling to boycott his brand to reconsider, as hundreds of people may lose their jobs.
“There is a concerted effort to boycott Palmetto cheese,” he said.
“Please consider the hundreds of South Carolina jobs that depend on its success. We humbly ask for your support.”
Costco refuses to comment on the matter, while Henry claim that the move was “normal business.”
“They will occasionally add and drop products as a matter of normal business,” he said.
“We remain optimistic that Palmetto Cheese will be back on the shelves in the not too distant future.”
Henry’s post has also put into the spotlight the company’s use of a Black woman on its Palmetto Cheese packaging, in which the company plans to remove soon.
The woman on the packaging, Vertrella Brown, is a former cook at the Henry family’s Sea View Inn on Pawleys Island.
“We understand action is necessary to embrace change within our organization and we are committed to making an impact internally and within the community,” said on a statement on the company’s website.