Hotpoint Plant Closure

It has been confirmed that 305 jobs at the Hotpoint washing machine factory in Bodelwyddan. At it’s peak Hotpoint/Indesit employed more than 2000 workers at Llandudno Junction.

Manufacturing at the site will be switched to Poland.

Staff were called to a meeting earlier today and told their jobs were being transferred to Poland and the closure will begin next month despite months of campaigning by politicians and union bosses.

Indesit Company UK blames the market requirement for washing machines, which the site manufactures, continuing to decline, and reductions in the factory’s output, combined with increasing manufacturing costs.

In a statement, Indesit said that a number of options were evaluated, including alternative investment, resizing the factory and introducing new products to manufacture at the site.

The company said: “Unfortunately, it was agreed by all parties that none of these options were sustainable and as a result of the continuing decline in the market, combined with increasing manufacturing costs, regrettably the decision to close the factory has had to be made.”

Carlos Ramos, UK manufacturing director for Indesit, said: “I would like to thank everyone at Kinmel Park [Bodelwyddan] for the continued commitment and professionalism that they have shown during this very difficult period.

“It is now our priority to provide support via the Job Shop and help them to find new employment in whatever way we can.”

One worker who asked not to be named described the move as: “Disgusting”.

“When we were told the news people were fuming. We are just all disgusted by this and feel let down by the company.”

The man said staff were taken to the canteen where they were told the news that they were to be made jobless.

“We were told it was due to the high cost of building washing machines on Kinmel Park. The company has opened two new factories in Poland.”

He revealed workers had recently had their hours cut to a four-day week and “morale had been low for months” and “there were a lot of rumours flying around” before the announcement.

He added, “For months I didn’t want to go into work.”

The wife of a long-serving worker at the site, which was previously known as Hotpoint, said her husband had been “resigned” to the imminent closure in recent months. She added: “Since November we have sensed it would happen and his hours have been reduced.

“But it is very sad news. My husband is going to have to look for another job as he isn’t old enough to retire. We hope he can find one.”

Indesit Company is the UK’s largest white goods company by market share and employs around 2000 people elsewhere in the UK, including its head office, call centre, service and logistics operations. Closing Kinmel Park is considered to be the only feasible option to enable Indesit Company to remain competitive, and ensure the long-term future of the business in the UK.

As far as we are aware this now places Indesit Company and it’s various brands, such as Hotpoint, Creda and others in a position where there is virtually no UK production at all.

Vale of Clwyd MP Chris Ruane, who has joined forces with a group of Euro MPs to investigate whether European money granted to Indesit won’t be used to train the new Polish workforce.

He said: This is a sad day for manufacturing in North Wales and the proud Hotpoint brand has now left the country. “I will be doing all I can to make sure EU funding has not been used to destabilise jobs in North Wales.”