Novelis today announced that its aluminum sheet mill in Rogerstone, South Wales, UK, will cease operations by the end of April. The announcement comes after a 90-day consultation, the aim of which had been to help get the business through the downturn by identifying measures that could be taken in light of the weak economy. Despite significant effort to achieve this, a viable plan did not emerge. The closure will affect 440 jobs.
“The Rogerstone team made every effort to adjust the operating model and costs to reflect the decreasing order book,” said Arnaud de Weert, president of Novelis Europe. “Unfortunately a sustainable solution could not be found. We thank the employees for their constructive approach in the face of these challenges.”
“This has been a very difficult decision to make,” said de Weert, “but like many companies we must adjust to the economic realities of today. Novelis is going through a process to ensure that we emerge from the downturn with an asset configuration that is lean and even more competitive.”
The company said that existing customer orders will be fulfilled and clients will be contacted individually regarding the future handling of their business in the Novelis European system.
“As the world’s leading supplier of rolled aluminum,” said de Weert, “we have a high level of flexibility in our operations and will continue to meet future customer needs competitively.”