7 May 1998: In an effort to cut company costs, Pilkington, the glass group, is to sell or close all its downstream operations in Germany, with the loss of almost 2,400 jobs.
Pilkington had announced …
7 May 1998: In an effort to cut company costs, Pilkington, the glass group, is to sell or close all its downstream operations in Germany, with the loss of almost 2,400 jobs. Pilkington had announced earlier that it would rationalise its German fabrication operations, but Paolo Scaroni, the new chief executive, has now discovered that these businesses lost more than UK 30 million last year. A final decision is expected to be made soon, however, insiders suggest that Pilkington will pull out of all its downstream operations in Germany by the end of the year, forcing Pilkington to close or sell two of its main plants in Germany at Wesel, near Dusseldorf, and at Wernberg. A further double glazing plant, at Gensenkirchen, has already been closed. Warren Knowlton, the head of Pilkington“s architectural glass business, has already made deep cuts in the group“s downstream operations across Europe. In Britain, Knowlton has closed 19 of the group“s 55 sites and sold another 11. Scaroni has also decided that Pilkington should begin to manufacture automotive glass in Britain, once again, to cope with demand from the country“s booming car industry. At present, all automotive glass is imported from the Continent. The group“s smallest glass float line in St. Helens, near Liverpool (UK), is expected to be turned over to automotive glass shortly.