A deal that would save some of the 740 jobs set to vanish from Leamington’s Heinz plant is expected to be announced in the coming days.

Leamington Mayor John Paterson was cutting short his stay at a municipal conference in Toronto this week, anticipating an announcement in his southwestern Ontario town on Wednesday or Thursday. He said he didn’t have details on what would be announced, but there have been serious talks with one firm looking to move into the Heinz facility that has been the core of Leamington’s economy for decades.

“We got down to the nitty-gritty with one of the several firms that were looking at the Heinz plant,” Paterson said. “So I’m really, sincerely hoping that this is a good-news announcement.”

The H.J. Heinz Co. announced in November that it would close the Leamington plant in mid-2014. Heinz is the biggest employer in the southwestern Ontario town, and it has been in the community since 1909.

The CBC reported Tuesday that a Canadian company will make tomato juice for Heinz, saving up to 40 per cent of the Leamington jobs.

“If it comes to fruition, it’s not going to be replacing what Heinz used to be, but it will certainly be a real boost up for a number of people who will be losing their jobs with Heinz come the end of June,” Paterson said.

A Heinz spokesman said the company had no comment.

Leamington farmer Walt Brown, a long-time Heinz supplier, said there have been rumours in the community that juice production would end up staying at the plant. That’s because Canadian law requires tomato juice to be made from whole tomatoes, and the company’s U.S. plants, where production was expected to shift, are set up to make juice from tomato paste, he said.

At Queen’s Park, officials in Economic Development and Trade Minister Eric Hoskins’ office were tight-lipped late Tuesday. Sources told the Star that no government assistance is involved.

Gabe De Roche, Hoskins’ press secretary, said he couldn’t comment on the reports. “However, since Heinz announced its decision in November, our government has been working actively with Leamington to ensure that supports are available to affected workers and their families,” he said.

The Windsor Star reported on a blog Tuesday that Windsor Essex Economic Development Corp. CEO Sandra Pupatello said she was unaware of any imminent announcement of a deal involving Heinz.

With files from Robert Benzie