30 new jobs in Sheffield as Ronseal maker closes Plymouth factory

The woodstain firm - famous for slogan ‘does what it says on the tin’ - plans to transfer all ‘manufacturing, filling and related activities’ to its headquarters at Thorncliffe Park, Chapeltown.

Some 45 jobs are set to be lost in Plymouth, bosses say. A 30-day consultation is due to end this month.

About 30 positions will be made in Sheffield ‘over time’.

Ronseal-maker Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Ltd blamed the need for greater efficiency and profitability. It made a loss of £1.9m last year.

Julie S. Young, vice president, global corporate communications, said: “This decision was not easily made and in no way reflects the dedication or performance of the employees at the Plymouth facility.”

Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Ltd is part of the Sherwin-Williams Company, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, which boasted a turnover of US$17.9billion in 2019.

It bought Ronseal in 1997.

The UK company made a profit in 2018 but turnover fell in 2019 due to ‘poor weather’ and no dividends were paid.

In a report to Companies House, the firm said it had responded to tough competition by providing products with ‘unique selling points supported by well known advertising’.

And it had stockpiled to cope with ‘continued uncertainty over Brexit and the risk of a hard Brexit with the possibility of associated tariffs and delays’.

The report said customers had been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, but the firm expected business in 2020 to be ‘stable’.

But it is now closing the Plymouth site.

Ms Young said: “The decision to initiate the proposal to close the Plymouth site came after a comprehensive strategic review of the Company’s sealant and caulk business and the shifting global dynamics over the last several years.

“This proposal supports the goal of the Company to strengthen its European footprint, drive manufacturing efficiencies and improve profitability in the business required to meet the needs of Sherwin-Williams customers.

"This decision was not easily made and in no way reflects the dedication or performance of the employees at the Plymouth facility.”

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