Firm plans to relocate staff

One of Church Stretton's largest firms is to relocate 50 workers seven miles down the road as part of plans for expansion.

Bosses at medical and scientific manufacturers Polymer Laboratories Ltd have confirmed they are to move almost half the company's workforce from the Mynd Industrial Estate in Church Stretton to new premises in Craven Arms. It's hoped the move will offer the firm good manufacturing facilities.

Fifty of the 120 permanent staff will relocate to a building formerly occupied by Nightingales clothing company on the Long Lane Industrial Estate in Craven Arms.

Adrian Williams, director of operations at Polymer, said the move was positive.

He added that Polymer's parent company, Varian, was so pleased with the south Shropshire operations that it had switched manufacturing of certain products from the USA to the county.

Mr Williams said: "We had hoped to be able to take on more staff as part of the move immediately but for economic reasons we have put this off.

"The move will give us a nice facility for our manufacturing and will give us the potential to expand. We will be looking to recruit more in early 2010.

"There is a mixed feeling from staff as some people will have to travel to Craven Arms, but then some already live round there so it will be good for them."

But Mayor of Church Stretton, Bob Welch, was less optimistic about the move. He said along with the closure of the Royal Mail delivery office on the town's industrial estate, the move would leave six more units empty.

This, he said, had caused at least one firm looking to move to the industrial estate to pull out and he feared there would be others.

Councillor Welch said: "Since the Royal Mail closure announcement, I have been advised of at least one such firm which has pulled out of moving to the estate and I anticipate there will be others. Given the pressure on our local retailers at present, the last thing we need is for our only industrial estate to be half empty on a long-term basis."