Mayo hit by 50 job losses

Mayo hit by 50 job losses

Anton McNulty

UNCERTAINTY over the state of the economy and the downturn in the construction sector was felt in Mayo last week with the loss of up to 50 jobs in two factories.
Yesterday (Monday) it was confirmed that the Northern Feather factory in Westport was closing its synthetics production, resulting in the loss of 20 jobs. This followed news of the collapse, days earlier, of Stanta, a steel fabrication group which employed up to 30 people in Charlestown.
Stanta Ltd had been owned by the Madden family from Ballaghaderreen and moved to Charlestown six years ago, producing gauge steel frames for contractors in Ireland and Britain. The firm employed mostly contract workers and the general decline in the construction sector in the last year is blamed for its collapse.
The news of these job losses comes as a further major blow to the county, following the news that there was a rise in unemployment levels rise across the county last month. The latest information from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) revealed that the numbers signing on the live register increased in all but one of the eight Mayo social welfare offices. The number of people signing on in the entire county was 5,893 last month, which was an increase of 1,199 on the figures for March 2007.
Mr Robert Coakley, Managing Director with Northern Feather, confirmed to The Mayo News that they were announcing cut-backs with the closure of the company’s synthetics production at the Demesne, Westport. However, he said that the company’s natural production, warehousing, distribution and retail centre will remain, retaining 30 jobs in the sector. Northern Feather has been in Westport since 1963, having formerly been known as Westport Textiles. Some of the staff in synthetics have worked in the factory for 25 years.
The closure of Stanta Ltd came as a surprise to many people in Charlestown after they invested in modernising the site they occupied on the Swinford Road. The firm had sales of €13.7 million in 2006 and €10.9 million in 2007, but two Stanta group companies went into liquidation in recent days, owing combined debts of about €2.7 million to more than 150 creditors.
After consulting with financial advisers, the directors decided they had no option but to place the two companies into voluntary liquidation. Dublin accountancy firm Kavanagh Fennell, was appointed liquidator on April 1 and they confirmed to The Mayo News that they were in the process of selling the company.
Mr George Craig, Chairman of the Charlestown Chamber of Commerce, said he was disappointed and surprised to hear of its closure but added that with its modern facilities he was positive that alternative industry will locate to the factory.
There was some good news on the jobs front in Mayo last week, however, with the announcement of 60 jobs for Ballina, at the revolutionary biotechnology company, Ovagen. This is a much-needed boost to the town which saw the biggest increase in the number of people signing on to the live register, with 1,601 people signing on. This was an increase of over 50 people in the space of a month and an increase of 278 on the same period last year.