Misery as more jobs go in Midlands at JCB and Threshers

Nov 21 2009 by Jon Griffin, Birmingham Mail

MORE than 100 West Midland workers were dealt a devastating pre-Christmas blow as major job losses were announced at Threshers off-licence chain and digger manufacturer JCB.

A total of 87 jobs are being cut with the closure of 15 off-licences across the West Midlands which form part of the stricken First Quench empire, owners of Threshers.

First Quench, which also trades as Wine Rack, The Local, Haddows, Bottoms Up and Victoria Wine, collapsed into administration in October after struggling in the economic downturn.

KPMG said a total of 381 stores would close with the loss of 1,908 jobs, with a further 34 staff to go at the group’s head office in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.

Shops earmarked for the axe in the West Midlands include sites in Edgbaston, Weoley Castle, Streetly, Knowle, Alvechurch, Wythall, Burntwood, Redditch and Leamington.

Other stores closing include two in Coventry, two in Wolverhampton and two in Stafford.

Earlier this month KPMG announced 1,738 redundancies with the closure of 373 stores, including five in Birmingham and others in Tamworth, Sutton Coldfield and Solihull.

Meanwhile, recession-hit Staffordshire-based digger maker JCB has announced plans for up to 196 more redundancies across five sites.

Up to 20 jobs will go at JCB Cab Systems in Rugeley while the axe will also fall at the group’s headquarters near Rocester and other sites in Cheadle and Wrexham.

A spokesman for JCB, which has cut about 1,600 jobs in the last 18 months, said: “An upturn in demand for our products has yet to materialise.”