100 jobs set to go at chemical giant Croda
AROUND 100 jobs are set to be lost on Teesside after it emerged chemical giant Croda is to wind up its Wilton Centre operation.
The firm, which employs 225 on Teesside, said the work would be carried out at existing sites at Hull, Ditton near Widnes and Cowick Hall near Snaith in Yorkshire.
The Wilton Centre staff, which include research and development, finance, administration and sales operatives, have been given the option to relocate to these sites or take voluntary redundancy.
The 125 Croda workers on the nearby Wilton site will not be affected.
The company said the integration had been part of its long-term strategy since buying Uniqema from ICI in September, 2006. Staff were first told of the plans in April 2008.
A spokesperson said: “Essentially we have two head office functions coming together. It makes every sense to integrate the two.”
A Croda worker at the Wilton Centre - who did not want to be named - said morale among staff was “very low”. Croda said staff had been kept informed of the situation and would receive a “very generous” redundancy package if they chose not to relocate.
“This isn’t a slash and burn policy,” said the spokesperson.
“We have given staff every notice of this situation,” he said.
Croda, which makes ingredients for consumer care products, has seen volumes and margins fall in a worsening recession. Pre-tax profits from continuing operations for the three months to March 31 were £21.7m - down by 9.6% on the same period last year - while sales in the industrial specialities division fell 19.7% to £97.1m. In April the company announced it was closing its Bromborough manufacturing site, with the loss of around 115 jobs.
Share
