Jobs hope for firm in German takeover
CHARLOTTE GREEN
THE boss of a Rising Bridge chemical firm hopes its takeover by a German manufacturer will stimulate growth and create new jobs in the area.
Cologne-based Lanxess has acquired Baxenden Chemicals from its former owner Chemtura as part of an international acquisition of the US-based company at a cost of more than £2billion.
Baxenden Chemicals, which has operated in from its site on Worsley Street for almost a century, produces urethanes which are used in coatings, adhesives, sealants and foams and employs 75 people.
Group operations manager John Lord, who has worked at the firm in a variety of roles for 28 years, said the takeover is a ‘positive step’ which could see local job creation as new market opportunities are opened up.
He said: “We see it as an opportunity for the future of the business. Lanxess are strong in the automobile industry and that will hopefully open doors for us to get more business for what we make here.
“The biggest thing for us is they are very proud of their name, and for them to share their name with us and immediately rebrand us, we are seeing that as a very positive step and a great demonstration of commitment to us.
“They have gone at it wholeheartedly which has given us a lot of confi- dence.”
Mr Lord added that there were ongoing talks about the possibility of bringing additional production to the Rising Bridge site – which could trigger local job creation.
He said: “It won’t happen straight away but if that happens we’d need a lot more people.
“We tend to take in the plant workforce from the local community and we train them so we have had ex-van drivers, ex-post men, all sorts, and if the expansion happens we will absolutely employ some local people.”
The urethanes Baxenden Chemicals produce are used to make everyday items in a range of industries, although they can be hard to identify.
Mr Lord added: “You won’t find our products on the shelves of B&Q but you can find our products on the wheels of skateboards, in the filling of surfboards and in your steering wheel.”
Kim O’Connor, Lanxess country representative in the UK, said: “The site in Baxenden is an important part of the new Lanxess global production network for urethanes and further expands the Lanxess presence in the United Kingdom.”