Jun 13 2007
Parent company, Yule Catto & Co, has announced strategic structural changes to ensure Holliday Pigments maintains its position as the world’s leading manufacturer of Ultramarine Blue.
In a drive to combat the cumulative effects of the weak US dollar and increasing competition from low cost Asian and Eastern European suppliers, The Group has taken the decision to close its UK manufacturing site in Kingston Upon Hull.
“External factors have contributed to reduced profitability within the business and, in particular, at the Hull site,” says Holliday Pigments’ Operations Director, Glynn Jagger. “The Company has considered a number of options to secure its long term leadership position in the market and it has become clear that it is no longer viable to maintain two manufacturing operations in Europe.
“Costs associated with the restructuring are expected to be incurred in the current financial year, but it is anticipated that these will eventually be offset by sale of the Hull site.”
Although the closure of the East Yorkshire plant is anticipated to result in the unfortunate loss of 95 jobs locally, it will enable The Group to further invest in its manufacturing operations and longstanding commitment to innovation at the Holliday Pigments site in Comines (Northern France).
Dominique Boulenger has been appointed Global Sales & Marketing Director across the entire Holliday Pigments’ business, including the commercial offices based in Malaysia, China and the USA. As part of his global responsibilities he will oversee the existing sales and marketing team remaining in the UK. Dominique has extensive management experience in the chemical and pigments industry and has been working for the Group for 13 years.
“Customers are the most critical part of our business and we wish to reassure them that every effort is being made to meet their requirements,” says Dominique. “In the long term this consolidation will strengthen our manufacturing capability and enable greater innovation, and we look forward to bringing to our customers more ground breaking developments such as our recently launched improved acid resistant grades.”
Holliday Pigments now sits within Yule Catto’s newly formed Impact Chemicals division headed-up by recently appointed Divisional Chief Executive, Derick Whyte. Five individual companies make up this arm of the business with William Blythe, James Robinson, Oxford Chemicals and PFW also coming under the Impact Chemicals umbrella. Each company serves a unique market and as a result of these strategic structural changes, Holliday Pigments will continue to perform as one of the world’s most tried and trusted pigments for premium applications in food packaging, plastics, inks, cosmetics, artists’ colours and paint.