Jobs lost as historic beer mat firm moves to Germany

Dec 1 2008 by Neil Atkinson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

BEER MAT BUSINESS MOVING TO GERMANY

WORKERS at a Huddersfield firm with a 136-year history are to lose their jobs.

Manufacturing at the Katz Quarmby Group – famous for printing millions of beer mats – is to switch to Germany in the new year.

It will mean most of the remaining workers at the firm’s Brighouse site will be redundant.

The firm was formerly Quarmby Promotions, founded in 1872 and for decades based in Britannia Road, Milnsbridge.

It was taken over by the German-owned Katz group and moved to Sherwood Road, Brighouse, and to Morley two years ago.

At its peak, the firm employed more than 80 people in Huddersfield but the production side is now down to 12 people.

Chief executive officer Garry Hobson confirmed manufacturing was to switch to Germany, in a continuation of a plan to integrate production.