Pentair to split and sell off Withcott distribution centre
Jobs to be lost as part of sale
THE manufacturer of the iconic Southern Cross windmill is in the process of selling and splitting its business operations in Withcott.
Pentair, a global water treatment company headquartered in Minneapolis in the United States, has confirmed it is in the process of selling its tanks and windmills division to another business, while relocating the pumps division to another site Pentair owns in Sydney.
Jobs are in the firing line, with Pentair confirming employees whose jobs are impacted by the pump division’s relocation will receive severance packages.
THE manufacturer of the iconic Southern Cross windmill is in the process of selling and splitting its business operations in Withcott.
Pentair, a global water treatment company headquartered in Minneapolis in the United States, has confirmed it is in the process of selling its tanks and windmills division to another business, while relocating the pumps division to another site Pentair owns in Sydney.
Currently, all three divisions operate out of what is known as the Southern Cross Pumps distribution centre on the Warrego Highway at Withcott.
Questions to Pentair about how many employees will lose their jobs as part of the sale and restructure went unanswered.
A Pentair spokeswoman said in a statement that “nearly all the Pentair employees who work in (the tanks and windmills) part of the business have been offered continuity of employment by the buyer”.
‘‘ EMPLOYEES WHOSE JOBS ARE IMPACTED BY THE RELOCATION WILL RECEIVE SEVERANCE PACKAGES
PENTAIR SPOKESWOMAN
“Our current understanding is that the buyer intends to continue manufacturing Southern Cross windmills in Withcott,” the spokeswoman said. The buyer is yet to be publicly announced.
The relocation of the pumps division to Sydney meant “not all jobs are able to be retained”.
“Employees whose jobs are impacted by the relocation will receive severance packages.”
The spokeswoman said the decision to restructure its Withcott-based operations was made to employees in April last year.
Southern Cross windmills were first designed and made in 1903 at the Toowoomba Foundry. The iconic design has since become synonymous with rural Australia.