80 jobs under threat as firm heads to Wales

EIGHTY skilled j obs are likely to be lost at a Dundee medical testing company.

Dundee’s BBI Solutions produce diagnostic tests for a range of medical conditions from pregnancy to ebola.

Staff at the Mediparkbased firm, part of the BBI Diagnostic Group, have been told as part of the firm “restructuring its operations”, jobs in Dundee will be moved 465 miles away to a new global headquarters in Caerphilly, Wales.

A BBI Group spokesperson confirmed: “BBI Group is restructuring its operations following significant investment into a new centre of excellence in South Wales.

“BBI Group has committed to investing £14 million into consolidating and enhancing its UK-based operations across 2017, which will take the company’s overall investment to £20m across 2016 and 2017.

“As part of this invest- ment, the company will create a new £8.5m 120,000 sq ft global headquarters in Caerphilly.

“This will result in operations currently undertaken at the Alchemy House and McLaggan House facilities, on Medipark, Dundee, being moved to Wales.

“BBI Group will work closely with affected staff going forward and, in the event of any job losses in Dundee, will identify and offer opportunities across the group plus outplacement support.”

Dundee West MP Chris Law said: “My thoughts are with those who will lose their jobs. It’s always sad to see a company moving out of Dundee.

“The Tay Cities Deal is set to transform the city fortunes and we must look to the future.”

Joe FitzPatrick MSP said: “BBI has been in Dundee since 2006. These are the kind of skilled jobs we are trying to increase in Dundee.”