Post by Admin on Feb 14, 2016 21:49:19 GMT
Griffon Hoverwork has launched a redundancy process that could see 43 staff lose their jobs.
ONE of Hampshire’s most famous and successful companies is set to lay off almost a third of its workforce.
Southampton’s Griffon Hoverwork, a world leader in the hovercraft sector, has a launched a redundancy process which could see 43 of its 142-strong workforce lose their jobs.
The shock announcement came just days after the firm had announced that one of two new cross-Solent craft being built for Hovertravel was about to embark on sea trials.
However, once the two £5 million hovercraft - which are due to go into service between Ryde and Southsea this summer - leave Griffon’s yard at Woolston, the firm’s order book will be almost empty.
Managing director Adrian Went said that the long-term future of the firm looked healthy and that the firm had a “tremendous lead book” with tenders worth £100 million.
Mr Went explained that Griffon although consistently won their tenders but many of their potential orders were with foreign governments who were slow to make decisions.
“Unfortunately we don’t have any influence over their time frames - it's immensely frustrating,” he told the Echo.
ONE of Hampshire’s most famous and successful companies is set to lay off almost a third of its workforce.
Southampton’s Griffon Hoverwork, a world leader in the hovercraft sector, has a launched a redundancy process which could see 43 of its 142-strong workforce lose their jobs.
The shock announcement came just days after the firm had announced that one of two new cross-Solent craft being built for Hovertravel was about to embark on sea trials.
However, once the two £5 million hovercraft - which are due to go into service between Ryde and Southsea this summer - leave Griffon’s yard at Woolston, the firm’s order book will be almost empty.
Managing director Adrian Went said that the long-term future of the firm looked healthy and that the firm had a “tremendous lead book” with tenders worth £100 million.
Mr Went explained that Griffon although consistently won their tenders but many of their potential orders were with foreign governments who were slow to make decisions.
“Unfortunately we don’t have any influence over their time frames - it's immensely frustrating,” he told the Echo.