Despite staff agreeing to reduced pay and holiday entitlements last year, Addis (GB-Swansea SA1 7DD; www.addis.co.uk) is cutting the size of its moulding operation in South Wales, with half the workforce of 240 likely to lose their jobs. Production of food storage products and brushware will be transferred to the premises of parent company Emsa Werke Wulf (D-48282 Emsdetten; www.emsa.de), while it is planned to move some of the current moulding capacity to a new site in Swansea to manufacture kitchen and utility products.

Addis managing director John Newcomb said the company is committed to continuing manufacturing operations in Swansea, where it has invested almost GBP 7m over the past eight years. The business is said to be undergoing an encouraging turnaround since its difficulties of early 2003 and hitting targets set at the end of last year. Addis was merged with the Emsa Werke business in September 1999; the combined operation has a turnover of some EUR 120m and a workforce in excess of 700.

Emsa meanwhile is satisfied with business in 2003, despite a 4% decline in sales to EUR 63m. The return on sales rose to 4.9% from 3.3% in 2002. The manufacturer of household and garden products processed around 4,000 t of plastics, including 1,500 t of polypropylene and 1,000 t of polystyrene, and polymers accounted for around 60% of material consumption.

For 2004, the company predicts a sales rise of 11% to EUR 70.4m. Since the beginning of the year, the tool manufacturing and injection moulding divisions at Emsdetten have opened their premises to outside investors, in an effort to better utilise the machinery park and secure the jobs of the 440 employees.