National Timber Group: Timber firm axes five more Scottish sites as total job losses pass 200
The number of redundancies in Scotland has risen to more than 200.
The UK’s largest timber firm has axed a further five sites in Scotland after entering administration last month, bringing the total number of job losses up to over 200.
National Timber Group confirmed in November that six of its sites north of the border were closing, with 169 jobs in Scotland lost as part of 561 roles cut across the UK.
Those included the Thornbridge Timber site in Hawkhill in Edinburgh, as well as branches in Stirling, Dumbarton, Newton Stewart, Forfar and Anniesland.
In an update, administrators Alvarez & Marsal have confirmed a further five of the group’s Scottish sites in Scotland closed on Friday.
The sites are Coatbridge, Baldovie, Inverness, Inverurie and Glasgow.
A further 33 jobs have been lost at those sites, while 11 jobs at previously closed sites in Forfar, Dumbarton, and Grangemouth have also been lost.
That brings the total number of jobs lost up to over 200.
National Timber Group is the largest independent timber distribution and processing group in the UK and operates companies such as Rembrand, Scotia Roofing, and Forfar-based Orchard Timber Products.
The group had been experiencing trading difficulties, with administrators having launched a sale process for both the business and its assets.
Rembrand Timber Limited Coatbridge said in a post on social media on Friday: “Rembrand Coatbridge closed today with immediate effect. Thank you to all our loyal customers over the years.”
A spokesperson for Alvarez & Marsal said: "We have received offers for a number of the group’s sites, but not for the whole business.
"As a result, it has been necessary to make further redundancies in the branches where we have received no offers for a sale.
"We have also made a number of employees redundant from central functions, given the reduced size of the group and pending transactions.
"We are supporting the affected employees through the redundancy process.
"We are working on a number of transactions for the group’s sites, which we hope to complete prior to Christmas, and which would rescue parts of the business and retain employment for those who would transfer to a purchaser.
"We would like to thank the workforce of National Timber Group for their continued support during this process."
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