Unions have raised concerns about the future of more than 1,000 UK manufacturing jobs after the owner of Boots sold its manufacturing business to France-based specialist Fareva, including the Nottingham factory that it opened in the 1930s.
Walgreens Boots Alliance said Fareva had signed a 10-year deal to supply it with products from its own ranges, including No7, Liz Earle and Soltan, after taking over its BCM manufacturing business, which has factories making toiletries and healthcare products in the UK, France and Germany.
The deal will mean the transfer of about 1,100 jobs in Beeston, near Nottingham, to the French company. But Boots would not confirm if it had sought any guarantees over the future of manufacturing at D10, the grade I-listed factory that has been operating since 1933.
The factory currently makes over-the-counter healthcare products such as painkillers, cold and flu remedies and insect repellents, as well as toiletries including shampoo, face cream and bubble bath.
Boots, which was founded by Jesse Boot in 1870, began manufacturing in a terraced house behind its first shop in Nottingham in 1883.
Fareva already operates in the UK and the company is expected to present its development plans within six months after the deal is completed.
Usdaw, the union that represents workers at the site, said it was seeking an urgent meeting with BCM.
Daniel Adams, Usdaw national officer, said he would be “looking for reassurances about jobs, members’ terms and conditions, as well as intended future plans”.
“After being informed of the company’s intentions to sell its contract manufacturing operation, the hard-working and loyal staff are understandably concerned. This is an unsettling time for members as it is not clear at this point what the impact of the sale will be,” he added.
The deal will raise fears of the kind of closures that followed US food group Kraft’s takeover of Cadbury. Nestlé also moved production of confectionary products Smarties and Blue Riband abroad after buying Rowntree in 1988.
Fareva is the largest contract manufacturer in Europe and one of the largest in the world, employing nearly 10,000 people across 11 countries, including the US, France and Poland. It has one UK factory in Pontyclun, Wales, called Fillcare, which makes toiletries and beauty products.
Globally, Fareva produces and packs pharmaceutical, beauty, industrial and household products backed by 12 research and development centres.
Walgreens Boots Alliance said: “The proposed agreement will create a partnership to provide Walgreens Boots Alliance with a core multinational manufacturing and development resource, enabling the company to accelerate its global product strategy.”
The group now has a presence in 25 countries after a series of major mergers, operating a number of retail chains as well as the world’s largest global pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution network.
This week, Boots was forced to apologise for the way it responded to a campaign calling for it to cut the price of emergency contraception.
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