60 jobs at risk as firm plans to quit Shrewsbury base

Staff at Berendsen in Longden Road, Shrewsbury, were informed yesterday that the company plans to close the site, and would hold consultation on making 59 workers redundant.

The company, which provides industrial uniforms and offers a laundry service, was formerly known as Salop Workwear.

Workers will now go through a 30-day consultation process. The company intends to close the site by April 22 and transfer the work to its other sites across the UK.

One worker, who did not want to be named, said people had been left shell shocked by the news.

He said: "The mood has not been good. This has been rumoured for a while but there are people who have worked here for 20 to 25 years and they are devastated."

Alistair Hopkins of Berendsen said the company had made the decision because it is planning to introduce a new production model which it cannot use at its Shrewsbury site.

He said: "Unfortunately there is a proposal we put forward today to close Salop with the work going to other plants within the workwear division in the UK.

"There are a couple of drivers for it. We are introducing a new production model and we have been looking at sites throughout the UK on a site by site basis and for Salop the investment to achieve that does not stack up financially.

"We also have a very limited footprint at the site, there is not enough space to incorporate that concept."

Mr Hopkins said the company would consider whether to go ahead with the closure if the consultation period shows they could alter the site successfully.

He said: "We will go through it with a fine-tooth comb and if we find it could work we will give that consideration. If at the end of the process there is not a way that says different to our proposal then we would look to shut that site down."

Mr Hopkins said the company would investigate whether there would be other jobs available as part of the consultation.

He said: "We want to take a caring approach. We have shared some very worrying news for a lot of people which we are very concious of, and at the moment it is about that consultation process which we will use to see if there are other employment opportunities within the business."

If the closure goes ahead then the company would look to sell the site.

More than 9,000 people work for Berendsen across 60 sites in the UK.