Hawick - Just days after local politicians
appealed for help for the troubled Borders? knitwear industry, Lochcarron of
Scotland has said it will be closing its plant in Hawick just before Christmas.
Around 30 jobs are expected to be lost with
some staff relocated to the company?s Selkirk headquarters.
Although the Lochcarron of Scotland
brand will remain, the company says it will now cease manufacturing its own
knitwear collections and will instead outsource production. Talks are currently
underway with other potential manufacturing partners in Hawick to take on the
production, a move that could potentially help preserve jobs for some of
company?s existing highly skilled workforce.
Announcing the closure, Lochcarron managing
director David Ogilvie said: "This will mean the closure of the Hawick
factory. However, with likely demand for skilled staff elsewhere within the
knitwear industry in Hawick, and additional positions at Selkirk, we anticipate
minimal job losses.
"We are now entering into a period of
consultation with the trade unions to minimize these job losses and are unable
to make any further comment during this process."
Lochcarron is also heavily involved in the
weaving sector with knitwear making up only 15% of the company?s business. It is renowned for its high quality merino, angora, cashmere and blends and is particularly famous for the way that they finish their cashmere fabrics. Up to
now, the company has always used a traditional finishing method involving
hundreds of dried thistles, known as teasels. The teasels are lined up on a
huge drum and are sprayed with water to soften them.So specialised is this process that many companies have
sent their finished fabrics to Lochcarron to undergo this process.
Further details to follow.
