Hewden to merge or close 22 depots, 213 jobs lost

Plant hirer Hewden is slashing 213 jobs as 22 depots will be closed or merged during a restructuring of its UK network.

Hewden currently operates from 102 depots and employs 1,750 staff. The cuts will be completed by the end of March 2009.

Hewden Executive Director, Doug Sprout said: “Everyone is aware of the rapid and unprecedented decline in the construction market which is hurting every plant hire company.”

“Our first concern is for our staff who will all be affected by these changes but we are also determined to maintain the best possible customer service during this restructuring.”

Hewden is closing 12 depots in Barrow in Furness, Cambridge, Elgin, Heathrow, Isle of Wight, Jersey, Melksham, Redditch, Chester, Shrewsbury, Thatcham and Yeovil.

A further 10 depots will be merged with nearby locations and all assets and customers transferred.

The branches that will be closed and transferred are:

• Motherwell, Mount Vernon and Newarthill (all transferred into Glasgow Queenslie);
• Bathgate (merged into Edinburgh) Rotherham (combining with Barnsley);
• Warrington Great Sankey (merging with Warrington Appleton Thorn);
• Abergele (moving to Bangor);
• Cardiff (merging with the Cardiff Docks depot);
• Olney (Bedford) and;
• Truro (consolidating with Redruth).