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Ford closing Southampton Transit plant with the loss of 500 jobs


saintbletch
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B&Q (Kingfisher) are outsourcing to India. I escaped just in time. It annoys me so much that companies give their work to other countries and then wonder why no one has any money to spend in their shops!! All the money being made by companies in this country is just flowing straight out into people working abroad. They're not better or cheaper either (see RBS/Natwest IT **** up)

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B&Q (Kingfisher) are outsourcing to India. I escaped just in time. It annoys me so much that companies give their work to other countries and then wonder why no one has any money to spend in their shops!! All the money being made by companies in this country is just flowing straight out into people working abroad. They're not better or cheaper either (see RBS/Natwest IT **** up)

 

Too bleeding right.....as someone who is fighting that battle at the moment all companies want is cheap...they don't give a stuff about quality...we had the head of the UK for our customer chat to us last week that came out loud and clear.

When the sh1t hits the fan at his company next year and they have no-one to fix it but an Indian with a script to follow....and 5 times the number of workers previously doing the task as the UK had.

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A good question...can anyone answer this?

 

I can't answer this cos I don't know. But I do know, because it's been on the news today, that Peugeot are seeking French government funding to keep themselves going and questions are being asked as to whether the EU will allow state intervention.

 

So it would seem odd that the EU would fund a move to Turkey whilst, at the same time, query state funding to a French car manufacturer. It seems that a lot of European car companies are experiencing difficulties and looking to their governments to help. I also heard that both Southampton MPs are looking for this government to intervene in the Ford case.

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I can't answer this cos I don't know. But I do know, because it's been on the news today, that Peugeot are seeking French government funding to keep themselves going and questions are being asked as to whether the EU will allow state intervention.

 

So it would seem odd that the EU would fund a move to Turkey whilst, at the same time, query state funding to a French car manufacturer. It seems that a lot of European car companies are experiencing difficulties and looking to their governments to help. I also heard that both Southampton MPs are looking for this government to intervene in the Ford case.

 

It's not Peugeot per se, it's the PSA bank. Government funding to a manufacturer would not be allowed under EU rules.

 

o

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My uncle has worked there for decades. Gutted for him and anyone else losing their jobs, but the pattern of events is depressingly, nothing new.

 

Manufacturing jobs moved to more cost-effective countries for a better bottom line. Though Henry Ford was vehemently anti-union, he did pay his employees very well. I wonder what he'd have made of all this.

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Trouble is it is not just the Ford factory going is it, it will be all the Satellite factories that supply all the sub components, so the loss of 500 jobs will actually be closer to 2000 jobs not all in this area though but I previously worked for a sub supplier that worked soley for fords, can not see them making a profit if they have to ship to Turkey.

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On top of B&Q and Skandia as well - been a cr4ppy October for the city

 

Terrible news. Is there actually any large company left in Southampton? I missed both of these stories, did B&Q move to segensworth with Ageas moving in? Whats the story with Skandia? They have a couple of huge offices. how many going? The city is going to be on its knees pretty soon. What can anyone do?

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Trouble is it is not just the Ford factory going is it, it will be all the Satellite factories that supply all the sub components, so the loss of 500 jobs will actually be closer to 2000 jobs not all in this area though but I previously worked for a sub supplier that worked soley for fords, can not see them making a profit if they have to ship to Turkey.

 

I know that hit brum hard when the car plants closed down there, but are components for the Transit made locally? 500 is still a lot of people and if they are not spendign that effects shops and trades so will have an effect. Reduced activity at the docks for starters.

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Terrible news. Is there actually any large company left in Southampton? I missed both of these stories, did B&Q move to segensworth with Ageas moving in? Whats the story with Skandia? They have a couple of huge offices. how many going? The city is going to be on its knees pretty soon. What can anyone do?

 

As an engineer it's always sad to see jobs like this go, never worked at Fords but did tour it once. An iconic factory building viewed everyday from the M27, apart from the obvious human cost, it will be very sad to see another south coast institution go.

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Terrible news. Is there actually any large company left in Southampton? I missed both of these stories, did B&Q move to segensworth with Ageas moving in? Whats the story with Skandia? They have a couple of huge offices. how many going? The city is going to be on its knees pretty soon. What can anyone do?

 

Skandia have shed a couple of hundred, although I suspect more will go eventually. The parent company seems to be on a crash course of rationalisation and debt paydown.

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Skandia have shed a couple of hundred, although I suspect more will go eventually. The parent company seems to be on a crash course of rationalisation and debt paydown.

 

how many currently work for them in Soton? Anyone know how many work at the huge Carnival office?

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is that Skandia or Carnival?

 

Carnival

 

The company consolidated in the new building about 3-4 years ago

 

Prior to that their workforce was spread around other locations, Queens Keep, Mountbatten House, Town Quay, Docks etc

 

Understand that Soton City Council had to pull out all the stops to get them to build on the West Quay site.

 

They were very clsoe to building a new facility at Whiteley as this suited their top man David Dingle who, I think lives in Sussex and unfortunately follows some team who have serious debts, not far from here.

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Carnival

 

The company consolidated in the new building about 3-4 years ago

 

Prior to that their workforce was spread around other locations, Queens Keep, Mountbatten House, Town Quay, Docks etc

 

Understand that Soton City Council had to pull out all the stops to get them to build on the West Quay site.

 

They were very clsoe to building a new facility at Whiteley as this suited their top man David Dingle who, I think lives in Sussex and unfortunately follows some team who have serious debts, not far from here.

yes he a big fan of them
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Looks like it's been confirmed.

 

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/10006351.Ford_announce_closure_of_Transit_factory/

 

(Also, the proof reader for that article (or even a spellchecker!) has done a terrible job...)

 

All these recent job losses in the area are bound to have a significant knock-on effect on the local economy. Very sad news.

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Carnival

 

The company consolidated in the new building about 3-4 years ago

 

Prior to that their workforce was spread around other locations, Queens Keep, Mountbatten House, Town Quay, Docks etc

 

Understand that Soton City Council had to pull out all the stops to get them to build on the West Quay site.

 

They were very clsoe to building a new facility at Whiteley as this suited their top man David Dingle who, I think lives in Sussex and unfortunately follows some team who have serious debts, not far from here.

 

pat on back to council then. Not too many other big firms left in this neck of the woods. I notice Raymarine built a similar size office at Cosham a year or so ago, and COOP have a big office at the IBM site there too. Soton needs to do more, but with no money that's not going to be easy.

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Great, we pay into the EEC who then pay turkey a regeneration grant who then invite fords on the cheap. We have indirectly laid off our workforce

 

That's what happened in the north east and Andover with twinings. Effectively British taxpayers partly paid for the move over to Poland.

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Carnival

 

The company consolidated in the new building about 3-4 years ago

 

Prior to that their workforce was spread around other locations, Queens Keep, Mountbatten House, Town Quay, Docks etc

 

Understand that Soton City Council had to pull out all the stops to get them to build on the West Quay site.

 

They were very clsoe to building a new facility at Whiteley as this suited their top man David Dingle who, I think lives in Sussex and unfortunately follows some team who have serious debts, not far from here.

 

 

Incorrect (in a way) P&O Cruises were based in Town Quay and Terminus Terrace (Richmond House) Cunard were based in Mountbatten House and Seabourn in Queens Keep, each were separate entities until The Carnival Corporation bought the lot and had the new building built, and David Dingle has jack to do with it, try Carol Marlow!

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pat on back to council then. Not too many other big firms left in this neck of the woods. I notice Raymarine built a similar size office at Cosham a year or so ago, and COOP have a big office at the IBM site there too. Soton needs to do more, but with no money that's not going to be easy.

 

Southern Co-operative only actually occupy one floor of the old North Harbour building.

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Incorrect (in a way) P&O Cruises were based in Town Quay and Terminus Terrace (Richmond House) Cunard were based in Mountbatten House and Seabourn in Queens Keep, each were separate entities until The Carnival Corporation bought the lot and had the new building built, and David Dingle has jack to do with it, try Carol Marlow!

 

Correct

P & O/Princess Cruises was based in Richmond House (not Queens Keep as I incorrectly said)

Cunard was based in Mountbatten House

 

Subject to confirmation

Seaborn I am pretty sure were also in Mountbatten House but stand to be corrected on that

Part of P&O (Storesd purchasing, I think)and Swan Hellenic prior to their sell off to Lord Sterling were based at Town Quay

Some of the Ops team had offices above the Mayflower Cruise Terminal

 

Incorrect

David Dingle is definately Head Honcho

He is Managing Director and CEO of Carnival UK so he definately had the final word on the office build!!

 

His No 2 is newly appointed Gerard Tempest (ex Premier Inns) who is Chief Commercial Officer of Carnival UK

 

Reporting to him are:

Carol Marlow (btw a graduate of Soton Uni) who is MD of P& O Cruises

Peter Shanks President and MD of Cunard Line

Nigel Esdale Sales Director Carnival UK

 

Both Carol Marlow

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Correct

P & O/Princess Cruises was based in Richmond House (not Queens Keep as I incorrectly said)

Cunard was based in Mountbatten House

 

Subject to confirmation

Seaborn I am pretty sure were also in Mountbatten House but stand to be corrected on that

Part of P&O (Storesd purchasing, I think)and Swan Hellenic prior to their sell off to Lord Sterling were based at Town Quay

Some of the Ops team had offices above the Mayflower Cruise Terminal

 

Incorrect

David Dingle is definately Head Honcho

He is Managing Director and CEO of Carnival UK so he definately had the final word on the office build!!

 

His No 2 is newly appointed Gerard Tempest (ex Premier Inns) who is Chief Commercial Officer of Carnival UK

 

Reporting to him are:

Carol Marlow (btw a graduate of Soton Uni) who is MD of P& O Cruises

Peter Shanks President and MD of Cunard Line

Nigel Esdale Sales Director Carnival UK

 

Both Carol Marlow

 

Basically correct but it was Cunard/Seabourn and Corporate ship building that moved to Town Quay

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Southern Co-operative only actually occupy one floor of the old North Harbour building.

 

Yeah Southern Co-OP, still a decent company. The more of those the better. North Harbour seemed like a thriving place when I was last down there. Is that still the case?

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STC

Pirelli

Fords

AC Delcos

Mullards

Vospers

BAT

 

had a connection with them all

 

Pirelli (Eastleigh)

Harris (Bacon factory, Eastleigh)

British Rail Engineering (Eastleigh works)

T.K. Fielder (Chandlers Ford - almost gone)

Rover Group (Oxford)

Ford

GKN Automotive (Eastleigh)

 

We're a right couple of jinxes between us! :cry:

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