Over 100 jobs go as HML closes Padiham site

FINANCIAL outsourcing firm HML is to close its office at Padiham in East Lancashire, leading to 113 job losses.

HML, which handles customer arrears on behalf of banks and other financial instututions, employs a total 271 people in Lancashire but said that 158 employees would be offered a transfer to its headoffice at Skipton in North Yorkshire.

The company’s chief commercial and finance officer, Neil Warman, said the decision was part of a strategy “to realise planned cost savings from our multi-million pound investment in IT over the last three years, and ensure the business is the right shape and size to take advantage of new market opportunities”.

The company, said that the site had been operating under capacity, and that it also had spare capacity at its Skipton base.

“The majority of roles will transfer to Skipton but there will also, regrettably, be a number of redundancies,” said Warman.

“We understand the personal impact on employees, however, we must make tough decisions that are in the long-term best interest of the majority of our employees,” he said.

HML said that the Padiham site would close by September. The company also has offices in Scotland and Northern Ireland.