A BED manufacturer is to close its Kirklees factory with the loss of about 200 jobs.
Silentnight Group has launched a 90-day consultation period with employees and union officials over the plans to axe the Rest Assured factory at Soothill, Batley, and move operations to a site in Lancashire.
The shock move comes just five months after Britain’s biggest bed maker was rescued from administration by HIG Europe, a division of global private equity investment firm HIG Capital.
In a statement, Silentnight Group said it would create more than 100 jobs by focusing investment on its site in Barnoldswick, where the business was founded.
It said overall UK bed sales were now almost a third lower than they were in 2008 and that Silentnight Group’s overall manufacturing capacity was too high. The company had made “this difficult decision” to ensure the long-term stability of the business, it added.
Chairman Adrian Fawcett said: “We are operating in an extremely tough climate for consumer-facing businesses and Barnoldswick is large enough to potentially absorb the forecast production requirements of both these facilities.
“It is with great regret, therefore, that we are now having to consider the closure of Batley.
“We are extremely grateful to the hard work of all our colleagues at the factory over the years and we will do our upmost to support our people should they have to move on.”
Barnoldswick will become the main production factory for leading brands such as Silentnight, Layezee and Rest Assured while the company will also be developing its sales and support service.
Kirklees councillor Martyn Bolt said: “It is a very sad day not just for Batley but for the whole of Kirklees.
“Silentnight has been a very big employer in this area for many years and there are many families who rely on the work.
“The company has also had spin-off effects for other firms. Firms like John Cottons of Mirfield have supplied materials for the beds and the waste from Silentnight has been extensively used in the shoddy industry in Dewsbury and Batley for a long time.
“It has been one of the key centres for the bedding industry for many, many years and it was only fairly recently that the accompany invested in new premises.” Silentnight, well-known for its Hippo and Duck cartoon characters, supplies beds, headboards, mattresses and bedding and has stockists throughout the Huddersfield and Dewsbury areas.
