Type
Internal restructuring
Country
World
Region
Location of affected unit(s)
Germany, USA.
Sector
Manufacturing
Manufacturing Of Furniture And Other Manufacturing
Other Manufacturing
32 - Other manufacturing

160 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
1 January 2005
Employment effect (start)
Foreseen end date

Description

The British life sciences technology company Whatman cut a seventh of its workforce on 1 january 2005 and admitted that sales had been disappointing.

The laboratory equipment company said it would cut 160 jobs following the €50.2 million (£35.6 million) takeover of the German laboratory business Schleicher & Schuell in December 2004, which created a firm with 1,160 employees. About 14% of that workforce will go, with most jobs lost at sites in the US and Germany.

The company, which makes laboratory filters for the life sciences industry, announced the cuts to book the one-off costs in the current financial year. Factories in Banbury in Oxfordshire and Dassel in Germany will be folded into one site, resulting in some job losses. The S&S head office will also see headcount reduced as it is absorbed into Whatman's Headquarters. The sales and business development arms of both businesses will be merged and streamlined. Two US factories are to close.

The chairman, Bob Thian, said the Banbury factory would not close and there would be no UK job losses.


Sources

  • 1 January 2005: The Guardian

Citation

Eurofound (2005), Whatman, Internal restructuring in World, factsheet number 60983, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/60983.