The cost saving initiatives announced by steelmaker Corus today would lead to extensive restructuring at their Rotherham site. Corus Engineering Steels, which has its largest sites in Rotherham and Stocksbridge, South Yorkshire, is taking steps to reduce costs but will continue to supply the same high-quality specialist engineering steel products to the automotive, aerospace, energy and other industry sectors. The restructuring proposals would lead to job reductions of 713 at Aldwarke and 18 at Stocksbridge. A number of manufacturing areas at the company’s Aldwarke site including the Aldwarke Primary Mill and Finishing Banks and Large Bloom Caster would close. The engineering workshops and the main administrative offices would also close. The company’s stockholding, processing and service sites in Wednesbury, Wolverhampton, Bolton, Slough and Hetton would be relocated to the Rotherham site. Phil Dryden, Corus divisional director, said: "The economic downturn has accelerated our strategic plans to strengthen our under-performing businesses. At the same time, we will retain the capability to meet existing and future demand. "If we are to survive this downturn and develop a sustainable business in the communities in which we work, we need to take these difficult steps. Tough market conditions have led to a significant reduction in orders, particularly from the automotive and construction sectors, which has hit us hard. "I know that this will be extremely distressing to the people affected and we will do everything we can to minimise the impact and to help them find another job." The proposals also include retaining the capability to process specialist engineering steel at the Thrybergh Bar Mill in Rotherham, the Brinsworth Narrow Strip Mill in Rotherham and at Stocksbridge. The Rotherham site will continue to manufacture specialist-engineering steel for the business’s Stocksbridge site, which produces highly specialised steel for customers in the aerospace and energy industry. A £7 million investment in new technology at Rotherham is being proposed to help produce the specialist steel.
Rotherham
0 comments:
Post a Comment