EFFORTS are ongoing for home appliances firm Glen Dimplex to find a new location in the area to retain dozens of its staff affected by the upcoming closure of its Whiston factory.
The Star reported earlier this month after it was confirmed that operations at the Stoney Lane factory will cease under proposals put forward by the company.
Glen Dimplex said it plans to relocate production following a “comprehensive review” was carried out to ensure a “sustainable future” for the business.
The firm says it has proposed “significant changes to our UK business operations”. If the proposals go ahead, production at the Whiston site will cease and the factory will close.
Staff at the factory have been informed of the plans to close the facility.
Glen Dimplex said that it proposes to “simplify the organisational structure of our support functions to align with our revised operating model”, adding that “remaining staff would move to a new office facility in the area”.
However, the company has admitted its proposals “may lead to redundancies across affected functions”.
The Star understands that Glen Dimplex are proposing to retain payroll, supply chain, technical, administrative and support staff, along with customer service staff at the new location, which has yet to be determined. It is understood this could save around 100 jobs.
Knowsley Council said they are aware of Glen Dimplex’s bid to find to location in the area.
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A spokesperson for the local authority said: “We are aware of Glen Dimplex’s desire to retain a presence within Knowsley and we will be assisting them to hopefully identify a suitable location.
“In addition, we will be offering support and advice to any employees who may be affected by plans to cease manufacture at the current site.”
Meanwhile, St Helens South & Whiston MP Marie Rimmer said: “I hope that as many jobs as possible can be saved. It is always tragic for workers and their families when redundancies are a possibility. Myself and both Knowsley and St Helens Councils are on hand to support people through this.
“I urge Glen Dimplex to do the right thing by their loyal employees and keep as many as possible. Glen Dimplex has been part of Prescot for over twenty years and I want that to remain the same.”
'A difficult and uncertain time'
The Community Union said that is working to secure the “best possible outcome for the workforce” during the “difficult and uncertain time”.
Gavin Miller, the union’s national officer for light industries, said: "The planned closure of the Glen Dimplex factory in Whiston is a real blow, and this will be a worrying and uncertain time for workers and their families.
"Our priority now is to make sure our members on site are fully supported, and we will be working to secure the best possible outcome for the workforce in the consultation talks to come."
What Glen Dimplex has said
Announcing the decision to propose closure of the Stoney Lane site, a spokesperson for Glen Dimplex Home Appliances said: “We have had to make a difficult announcement to our staff and key stakeholders about our Prescot plant. Our proposals to relocate production come after a comprehensive review and are aimed at ensuring a sustainable future for the business.
“We have always treated our role as custodians of the Belling, Stoves and Lec Medical brands with the utmost respect – between them they have almost three centuries of heritage and our role is to ensure their continuation. Currently, that is not something we can guarantee without making significant changes to our UK business operations, and we are aware of the significant impact this could have on our colleagues.
“To address this, we have completed a strategic review and are proposing to make changes to operations and organisational structure. This includes a proposal to relocate all production to leading international partners to leverage economies of scale and access latest technologies. If the proposals proceed, production at our Prescot manufacturing facility would cease, leading to the eventual closure of the site.
“We intend to retain a strong, UK-based engineering and design capability to work with our partners to introduce a new range of innovative, high-quality products.
“As well as being our manufacturing base for Lec Medical refrigeration products and Belling and Stoves cooking appliances, on-site departments at Prescot include payroll, supply chain, technical, administrative and support staff.”
They added: “As part of our strategy to lead the UK market we also plan to enhance our customer service offering, taking advantage of the latest consumer engagement technologies and extending field service coverage. We are in discussions with leading UK players in this area to establish the best solution for the business.
“In addition, we propose to simplify the organisational structure of our support functions to align with our revised operating model, and remaining staff would move to a new office facility in the area.
“Regrettably the proposal may lead to redundancies across affected functions. Our immediate priority and focus is our duty of care to colleagues whose roles cannot be moved to other UK businesses within the group and we will be doing everything we can to support them during this time.”
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