APOLLO Tyres, the Indian company which has taken over Cooper Tires, has given the strongest hint yet that jobs will be safe in Melksham.
Cooper Tires, the American tyre-maker which owned the former Avon Rubber factory in Melksham, has been sold in a $2.5billion (£1.6bn) takeover by Apollo Tyres.
The move had sparked concerns that jobs may be at risk but Apollo Tyres joint chairman Neeraj Kanwar hinted strongly that this will not be the case.
His comments will be welcomed by many in the town as the site remains one of the biggest employers in Melksham. He said, “Like all other facilities around the world, we are not looking at closing Melksham.
“It is a profitable operation that adds significant value to the overall operation.”
This indication by Neeraj Kanwar follows an open letter given to employees recently that was signed by the chairmen of both Apollo Tyres and Cooper Tires that also suggested jobs would be safe.
It said, “Apollo and Cooper are complementary businesses with almost no geographic overlap. We intend to retain existing facilities.
“We also intend to maintain the networks and workforces Cooper already has in place, and to grow the existing facilities to meet the expanding needs of the newly combined company. Cooper will continue to recognise the labour unions and honour the terms of the collective bargaining agreements presently in effect and will generally maintain compensation and benefit levels for non-union employees.”
The buy-out makes Apollo Tyres the world’s seventh largest tyre manufacturer.
