400 jobs to go as Boots manufacturing company makes ‘big changes’

Nottingham-based contract manufacturer Boots Contract Manufacturing (BCM), which makes products for Boots’ high street stores and was bought by international pharmaceutical manufacturing company Fareva in November 2017, is to cut 400 jobs.

The firm has this morning announced “big changes” at the Beeston factory, which has stood on the Boots site for the past 85 years.

BCM said: “There will be a major focus on operating costs, which means there will be a reduction of 400 roles, beginning with the loss of 78 production roles over the next six months.”

The firm confirmed it would move out of producing toiletries, haircare, perfumes, foods and biocides, adding:  “There are other parts of the Fareva group that can produce these products more efficiently and cost effectively.”

It said the business would now focus on its core strengths of healthcare, skincare, sun care and oral care products and will receive a cash injection of £16m from Fareva, to complete upgrades and renovations within the factory.

BCM managing director Richard Whall said: “Today’s announcement on the plan to invest significantly in upgrading BCM facilities, is an absolute testament to the faith that our new owners have in us and our prospects as a business.

“We have agreed a two-year plan with our owners and as part of that we, unfortunately, had to make some tough decisions to safeguard the long-term future of BCM here in Nottingham and take the business back to profitability. This means we will have to make redundancies. This new strategy is all about focussing on what we excel at, so we can really compete and grow our business.”

In parallel with the investment at BCM the sister site Fillcare, based in South Wales, will see investment of £2m over the next two years as it take on the volume of the toiletries production being moved out of BCM, creating 200 new jobs.

In July last year, TheBusinessDesk.com reported that unions representing workers at the Boots site in Beeston were requesting “an urgent meeting” with Boots Contract Manufacturing after bosses announced it was to stop making health beauty products there.

Walgreen Boots Alliance had revealed it had entered into a ten-year agreement to sell the Boots Contract Manufacturing businesses to contract pharmaceutical company, Fareva.

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