News
Quebecor closes Corby plant with 250 losses
Administrators for Quebecor World have made 250 redundancies after announcing the closure of the group's Corby web offset plant following a period of administration.
A meeting took place last night between the administrators, Unite and the workforce to announce the closure, which was decided after a buyer could not be found, PrintWeek can reveal.
Administrator Ian Best of Ernst & Young said: "Quebecor World has been continuing to trade for approximately two weeks with a view to finding a going concern buyer for the business, but unfortunately it has become clear that the focus of interested parties is on the assets of the business.
"The business was losing £4 million per annum before the appointment of the joint administrators, with losses in January and February particularly heavy. This level of losses cannot be sustained any longer."
He added that more than 250 redundancies would be made as a result of the decision with a small team remaining for a period of weeks.
Tony Burke, assistant secretary general of Unite's print sector, said: "We are hugely disappointed with this news. We had worked hard to find a buyer but, as customers were beginning to pull their work, the decision was taken to close the site.
"It is a bitter blow for the workers and their families, a bitter blow for UK manufacturing, and a bitter blow for Corby as a whole."
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Comments
Douglas Richardson - 12 February 2008
From Doug Richardson former main board director of HunterPrint PLC.
It is of course a very sad day for those employees who now find themselves unemployed and facing a difficult future.
No blame however should be placed at the door of the current management team and it's workforce.
From the Plant's creation some twenty years ago it's eventual demise was inevitable.Created out of ego, the plant was never ever viable and was doomed from conception.
Perhaps it's obituary should read.
"Never in the history of the British Printing Industry has so much pain and frustration been inflicted on so many by so few".
Doug Richardson
Tony Passmore - 12 February 2008
From Tony Passmore former managing director of Alabaster Passmore & sons Ltd.
It is indeed a very sad day for everyone involved with the Quebecor Corby Plant.
In its hayday it was a showcase plant with us competitors viewing it with awe and respect.
It is perhaps a little harsh of my old chum Doug (Richardson) to say that it was doomed from the start. I seem to remember that it was set up on the back of significant government grants following steel works closures.
However perhaps it could be said that the capital investment required in this sort of printing these days is so huge and the margins so small that in a way it should not surprise us that many fine companies go under.
Better get back to pruning the vines! Tony Passmore
Mark Hughes - 12 February 2008
Doug is correct the plant has a very poor start in life, it was sold as the answer to best pratice, in reality it did not.
Blame does not fall on the workforce (not those in corby at least, and at all levels)
The sad truth about these job losses, is that those who worked for many years to preserve employment in Corby, have now been left high and dry, while those over the pond, can just dust down the mess and look after number one.
I had many a good year at Hunterprint / Quebecor, with many a word or nine with Doug.
kevin kolum - 12 February 2008
Kevin's Kolum
Hunterprint / Quebecor
RIP
1988 - 2008
Those who worked at the corby Plant will know of the Newsletter Kevin's Kolum.
It was used to mark the passing of an employee.
ian brodigan - 13 February 2008
As ever the guys who pay the price are the ones who work the hardest with the least control over their own destiny.
Unfortunately yet another example of a shrinking market, that is also been undercut by cheaper subsidised foreign competition,which is given a big helping hand by British printmongers falling over themselves in pursuit of a quick buck, and never missing an opputunity for self publicity, which is all fair enough as long as they are honest about it !!ah well least it bumps up the air miles lads
Nigel Taylor - 13 February 2008
Nigel Taylor
Who would have thought that a company who 5 years ago had a workforce of around 1000 and returning a healthy profit would end up like this? So many opportunities missed and many lessons to be learnt. Nothing short of a disaster not only for the 250 employees facing an uncertain future but the British print industry in general.
Martin Reuby - 13 February 2008
As the FOC of Unite the union at Corby I think I must pass comment on the demise of our company and the workers that have been unceremoniously dumped on the scrapheap by a uncaring parent company. Its so much easier to get rid of a UK worker than any other European worker. The workforce at Quebercor World have made many sacrifices, with the management then breaking agreements and making broken promises of investment. Without the promised investment the company got left behind in the market. The only form of leadership shown has been from the production director. The rest of the management's record speaks for itself, with the workforce paying for their mistakes. Unite the Union have been very supportive in this difficult time. Only time will tell for my fellow colleagues what the future holds for them. Hopefully many will be able to find jobs back in the printing industry but unfortunately there is nothing locally. Corby is becoming a hotspot for unemployment once again and the town and people really do not deserve it.
Martin Reuby - 14 February 2008
ps, it should have read the operations director, showing leadership and production director working hard along with the workers at Corby.
andrew goddard - 15 February 2008
Having spent 18 mostly happy years working at Hunterprint then Quebecor,the sad demise of the company within the last three years comes as no shock. With Quebecor inc having installed its ' puppet management' after the purchase of Hunterprint, the loss of the ANL contract was the catalyst of a doomed company. The company never stood a fighting chance with a Managing Director that never had the skill, ruthlesness or business acumen to run a company of this size. A lot of pain could have been avoided if the UK management would have had the backbone to stand up to its foreign masters.
andrew goddard - 15 February 2008
One more point i thinks is worth commenting on is much hype was made about Quebecor's multi million dollar 'retooling' process. What is probably over looked is that the proportionatley small investment Corby recieved was heaviely funded from the fact that Corby went from a workforce of 1000 to under 300 in such a short time. In short we payed for our own re-investment through pay cuts and bitter pills we were made to swallow whilst being threatened with the prospect of closure.
david sill - 15 February 2008
Lo Gang,
I was there on the day at Peterlee when Mike Hunter announced that Hunterprint was to move plant.If only Mike Hunter had invested in Peterlee, would he still be in the trade.
Hey Mr Hunter get your business acumen out again and kick the ass of these big guys and show them how to do it
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