Jobs under threat at Brush

Employees told 270 jobs in Loughborough are at risk at generator production firm.

Workers at The Brush Group, a manufacturer of power generation products, based in Loughborough have been told jobs are at risk as a result of falling sales. 

The company has entered into consultation with its workforce about the future of its 2-pole turbo-generator production at its Loughborough site.

The consultations will affect up to 270 positions in Loughborough out of a total UK workforce of 790.

The company blames a fall in demand for the problem.

Sales at Brush peaked in 2012 at 208 units, dwindling to 70 sales in 2017. Of the 2017 sales, only 21 were built in Loughborough.

The other activities at the Loughborough site, including the transformer manufacturing business, as well as its other facilities in Wales and Derbyshire, will be unaffected following the turbo-generator restructuring. The Loughborough site will also maintain an engineering team and R&D capabilities.

Chris Abbott, CEO of Brush said: “The simple fact is that our 2-pole operation has a critical shortage of orders. The market has seen a major structural shift and we have suffered as a result. We must therefore consult on the need to reduce our manufacturing capacity in order to safeguard the long term future of Brush and protect the legacy of one of Britain’s longest established manufacturing businesses. We will do our utmost to ensure that the affected employees are supported to the best of our ability and that we find the most favourable outcomes for all concerned.”    

Abbott added “Loughborough nevertheless remains at the heart of our after-market operations, which are flourishing, and the Transformers unit, which is also performing well. We will also continue to focus upon innovative solutions with investment in our engineering, research and product development presence at Loughborough - where we have a real leadership edge.”