Hundreds of jobs could be lost after a Leicestershire metal factory confirmed its closure. Bosses said the move had been made with “great sadness” as production leaves the UK altogether.
The fate of the Saint-Gobain PAM UK site in Holwell, near Melton, had been left uncertain after its owners put forward proposals to close the foundry back in March. Consultations looked to move production of access covers and gratings to a sister site in Blénod, France.
Bosses had previously said Covid-19 and Brexit had made the Leicestershire site “uncompetitive”, with the proposal putting 161 jobs at risk. Saint-Gobain PAM bosses have now confirmed the site will close later this year after the move to France was finalised.
READ MORE: Decision due on second attempt to have hugely unpopular Leicestershire warehouse scheme approved
An exact number of job losses is unclear at this stage. Saint-Gobain PAM said the decision to close had been made with “great sadness”, with the Holwell foundry having been a part of the community for nearly 150 years.
Alan Gwilliam, the firm’s UK managing director, said: “We will be moving the production to a site that has received considerable investment in recent years to enable it to manufacture products with significantly lower carbon emissions. This is a considerable driver for our business and our customers as we play our part in addressing the climate emergency and seeking to reduce our overall environmental impact.”
The first phase of the closure is expected in September according to Mr Gwilliam, who said all affected staff were being “actively assisted” through the process. He said some Saint-Gobain PAM employees were being helped to apply for work in other parts of the business, while the company was actively “working in collaboration” with the Job Centre to help some retrain and get help with CV writing.
Mr Gwilliam acknowledged the history of the Howell site, saying it had been an “important part” of the area since 1875. He said the firm would do all it could to honour that history upon the factory’s closure which is set to be complete by the end of the year.
He said: “We intend to mark the closure in a respectful way that recognises the long history and heritage of the Holwell site and the role it has played in the local community”.
We are now bringing you the latest updates on WhatsApp first