Draka has announced the closure of its copper wire facility in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, as part of a consolidation programme.
“We have to buy the [copper] rods from the continent, and ship them to the UK, draw wire from them, and then ship it back to our factories in Europe,” said director of investor relations Michael Bosman. “So that means the cost has increased quite tremendously in the last two years, and economically it is not wise to maintain this production site.”
Operations will be moved to the firm’s other European sites, and the sales division is to be relocated to the UK head office in Derby.
One hundred and thirty five employees are set to lose their jobs, though the company is looking to offer positions at alternative sites where possible.
The company has now entered a period of consultation with union representatives.
