Granby jobs lost: Two firms set to close

Advanced Sheet Metal (ASM) Limited and defence firm Babcock Integrated Technology are both closing their businesses on the Granby Industrial Estate.

The sheet metal company, based at Albany Road on the Granby Industrial Estate, ceased trading yesterday and managing director Keith Fulbrook said 43 jobs would be lost.

A further posts will go at Babcock.

Mr Fulbrook said: “Due to the current economic climate Advanced Sheet Metal Ltd has found itself with no alternative but to cease trading.

“Every effort has been made by myself and all our employees to continue but we could not compete in the global economy.”

He added: “It’s very sad.

“There are 43 members of staff here and this business has been going for 42 years.

“I’ve been the managing director for 23 years since I bought it from my father and carried on.”

An ASM employee, who did not wish to be named, said: “We’ve been on a four-day week since after Christmas. We knew things had slowed down but we were ticking over and still had work.

“We got a phone call to come in for meeting yesterday and were told the firm was closing.

“The administrators were there, they had taken it over and they had changed all the locks.

“We’ve not been paid for the last week.

“There’s 40 people or so in the workshops doing welding, folding, etc plus those in the office.

“The boss said they were losing money and not able to keep up.

“They couldn’t afford to pay any of us so they had to hand over to the receivers.”

He added: “Everyone is gutted. We didn’t see it coming at all. It came out of the blue.

“We’re all owed money from last week. We have to put in claims to the administrators for money that is owed to us – wages, holiday and redundancy money.

“After the meeting we left and a lot of us went to the Jobcentre.

“I’ve been there seven years.”

Another member of staff, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It’s the knock-on effect as well.

“You’re losing your industry off the industrial estate and replacing it with play parks and garages - that’s what happened in Exeter.

“This will affect more than 40 employees and their families.

“It will even affect places like the Granby Diner because people won’t be going over there for their lunches.”

Councillor Geoff Petherick, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council spokesman for economic development, said: “Obviously it’s very disappointing.

“I don’t know the companies very intimately but I’m certainly aware of Babcock Integrated Technology – it’s a pretty large division.

“Overall the economy in Weymouth and Portland is very buoyant. We’ve recently reduced the number of empty shops in Weymouth town centre and there’s a real demand for trading at Osprey Quay.

“I read a report recently that the number of job vacancies at our Job Centre Plus had gone up dramatically.

“Times are still tough but we’re doing our best to get companies to invest in the area and I think we’re starting to succeed.”

Phil Hansford, owner of the Granby Diner which is situated opposite ASM, said: “It’s a sad loss for those 43 people.

“It hasn’t affected us to be honest but it’s a concern for everybody.

“I’m sorry to hear about it.”