UK loses manufacturing site

recently announced that it is to consolidate production at facilities in Germany and India, leading to the closure of its UK site.

All products will be transferred to other units prior to closure, leading to the loss of approximately 35 manufacturing jobs. Sales and marketing and R&D will remain in the UK, but will be relocated to new premises, and investment is being made in new laboratory facilities.

James Robinson manufactures a range of specialty chemicals for applications that include hair dyes, photographic developers and photochromic lenses.

“In common with many other companies having manufacturing assets in Europe, James Robinson has felt the impact of the weak US dollar and low-cost imports from Asia,” said Managing Director, Dr Brendan Catlow.

“Our strong market positions have helped mitigate the impact of these pressures, but we are taking action now to secure the long-term growth potential of our business,” added Dr Catlow. “To this end, we will consolidate our production base on two sites, and this will lead to the ultimate closure for our Huddersfield factory.”