Baildon firm relocates to Batley (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Baildon firm relocates to Batley

12:59pm Monday 29th June 2009 in

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Baildon-based flooring samples manufacturer Multishades is set to leave Bradford when it relocates after nearly 50 years in the district.

The company, which employs 30 people at its base in Sandals Mill, Cliffe Avenue, will move to its new headquarters in Batley following a merger with Meritmill.

Its staff have been offered their jobs at the Meritmill factory in Field Lane, Batley, as the company looks to “streamline” its operation, joint managing director Shafiq Rehman said.

Bosses are now in a 30-day statutory consultation with the workforce.

Mr Rehman said: “What we are doing is concentrating our operations due to the uncertainty in the market place.

“We are transferring the operation from one location to another. It will mean jobs moving out of Bradford but everybody is being offered their job, with the same conditions, in Batley.

“The business continues as normal and suppliers and customers will be unaffected.”

The move has been described as yet another blow for the area.

In recent months, lighting manufacturer Havells Sylvania announced it that it was putting its factory in Otley Road, Baildon, up for sale, and moving production to India.

Earlier this month a second round of 78 redundancies at Denso Marston car parts factory, also in Otley Road, was announced. It has previously axed nearly 100 jobs.

Mr Rehman admitted the closure of Multishades factory in Baildon would have an effect on the local economy but he said: “We are trying to streamline our overheads so that we are ready to compete when the economy improves.”

He said staff and machinery would be moved to the Meritmill factory over four to six weeks.

Mr Rehman said: “Merritmill in Batley has spare space and it equated to more than the space we use in Baildon, so we seized on the opportunity to save space that would otherwise go wasted.

“It gives us the future opportunity to increase production.”

Councillor John Cole (Lib Dem, Baildon) said: “I am sorry to see Multishade go from Baildon.

“I don’t want us to get to the sad situation where Baildon merely becomes a dormitory town. What we need is a balance and that includes quality employment.”