Chief executive Paul Utting said: “It is with great regret that we now propose to close the Luton site, but continued production at Luton is unsustainable.

“In order to operate competitively, we have had to evaluate our multi-site operation and consolidate areas of our business.”
Should the closure go ahead, it will be the latest in a long line of restructuring measures following Wynde­ham’s takeover by Icelandic firm Dagsbrún last March, and its December sale to FL Group.

However, Utting denied that the firm’s new owners were behind the restructuring, which has brought the closure of the firm’s Kent and Bow pre-press sites, Wynde­ham Hubbard, and the loss of almost half the workforce at Wyndeham Impact.

Utting said: “We’re responding to changes in the marketplace – a process that actually began prior to the acquisition by Dagsbrún.”

Wyndeham has now entered into a 30-day consultation period with staff at the Luton site.

If the proposed closure of its Luton site goes ahead, Wyndeham will have cut around 350 jobs, or 25% of its production staff, in just under a year.

Amicus national officer Steve Sibbald said: “This is typical of venture capital – they’re only interested in the balance sheet. These things happen so often now that we’re running out of adjectives to give any real indication of how we feel.”

Sibbald added that, while there might be some opportunity for redeployment, “the vast majority” of staff would find themselves out of work.

Wyndeham said that it intends to transfer the production of sheetfed work from Westway and Blacketts to Wyndeham Grange or other group sites, or to outsource it through Bespoke, its print management arm.

One industry source said: “The transfer of equipment and work is a dangerous game, as it’s the customers who ultimately decide where the work goes.”

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A YEAR AT WYNDEHAM
April 2007 Wyndeham announces closure of Luton multi-site with up to 92 staff affected
January 2007 Wyndeham announces consolidation of pre-press division including the closure of its Bow facility
December 2006 Dagsbrún sells 64% stake in Wyndeham to fellow Icelandic investment house FL Group
November 2006 Wyndeham profits fall by over a third, from £9.5m to £5.9m. Dagsbrún announces sale of the business
August 2006 Wyndeham announces 66 job cuts at Impact
July 2006 Wyndeham closes Hubbard. 92 staff affected
June 2006 Wyndeham restructures into two divisions and announces closure of Kent pre-press site. 70 staff affected.
March 2006 Wyndeham receives takeover offer from Dagsbrún