PRITEX has made 23 staff redundant as the Wellington company responds to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement, managing director Gareth Jones said the last five months had been among the most challenging in the 61-year history of the business.

The firm, based at Lillebonne Way, makes acoustic and thermo-acoustic insulation products for the automotive, industrial and comfort sectors.

News of the proposed redundancies emerged in June when the company said it expected sales for that month would be 75 per cent below normal levels.

Mr Jones added in his statement: “Our approach of balancing short-time working, voluntary redundancy and redundancy through restructure is designed to avoid larger scale job losses.

“This will protect our business and ensure we can emerge from the crisis as an efficient, competitive and sustainable business that can recover and grow.

“Most importantly, I want to publicly acknowledge the loyalty and hard work of every single colleague who is leaving the business and to thank them for their service to our company.

“I sincerely wish we were not in this position and I know I speak on behalf of the whole company when I say thank you and good luck to our departing colleagues.”

It is the second blow in less than a year for workers at Pritex whose new owners, Saint Gobain, axed 20 nightshift workers in September following ‘a downturn in the automotive, industrial and furniture bedding sectors’.