Certex will close two of the region’s lifting centres in Redruth and Plymouth, while maintaining divisions at Bristol, Cardiff, Gloucester and Southampton.
The changes – scheduled to take effect over the next six months – are in response to a shift in demand from the region’s mining and fishing industries for more field-based services as opposed to the hire and purchase of new stock.
Certex said this has lessened the need for a large supply of locally held products.
Certex said that customers in the Redruth and Plymouth areas will still benefit from the experience, knowledge and skills of their regular team of inspection, test and maintenance engineers and will continue to have quick access to products from regional and centrally held stocks.
There will be no planned redundancies as a result of the closures, as the majority of members of staff are already field-based. Other personnel have all been offered continued employment within the company.
Tony Stringer, Certex managing director, said: “Certex has always believed in maintaining a strong local presence across the UK through its regional centres but we had reached a point where maintaining large levels of stocks in these two areas was no longer required or viable.”
He added: “The vast majority of our business around Plymouth and Redruth is also field-based, which will be largely unaffected by the changes.”
He also stressed that, as a business, Certex must respond to local market forces and reflect the changing expectations and requirements of its customers.
Following the Plymouth and Redruth centre closures, all sales enquiries for the area will be handled by Certex’s Southampton branch, tel; +44 (0)238 070 3894, email: southampton@certex.co.uk.
