Strong £ forces jobs cuts (From Warrington Guardian)

Strong £ forces jobs cuts

A SLUMP in sales has caused four redundancies at a Middlewich factory.

Flowcrete Systems PLC, based on Stud Green Industrial Estate in Brooks Lane, says it has been forced to axe the workers because British firms have no money to invest due to falling exports.

Founder and chairman of the floor manufacturing company, Dawn Gibbons, claims the strength of the pound has forced her to scale down the industrial flooring side of the business.

But she stated no further job losses were on the cards.

Ms Gibbons, who was awarded the MBE in 1994 for her services to the industry, said: "It's the Government's fault. With the strength of the pound, a lot of British industries have to cut back.

"They can't afford to invest in new floors because of falling exports.

"That is why we have made four people redundant in the industrial section of the company."

But Ms Gibbons said workers should not be too disheartened by the redundancies.

"The market is constantly changing and you have to change with it," she explained.

"Although we have had to announce some redundancies we could also be creating job opportunities for about half a dozen people in the near future.

"We have just spent £1 million on launching a new range of self-levelling flooring products on to the market. It's a floor levelling compound used under carpets and vinyls."

She added: "The site in Middlewich is the body of the organisation where we do all our researching and design. Flowcrete's future looks very bright"

The company, which has manufacturing sites in Malaysia and the Czech Republic, has satisfied a number of famous clients including Mars, Rolls-Royce and restaurant chain Planet Hollywood, owned by Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.