BRITVIC’S IRISH division, which owns the Ballygowan and Club Orange brands, is to shed 145 jobs over the next year as part of a restructuring programme.
Britvic Ireland also announced yesterday that managing director Billy O’Regan is to step down from his role at the end of April.
The job cuts will primarily affect the company’s logistics, finance, IT and sales sections. According to a company spokesman, there may be limited opportunities for the redeployment of staff within the business. However, it is expected that the redundancies will reduce the company’s Irish workforce from 940 to about 800.
As part of a restructuring programme, the drinks company intends to close its regional distribution centres in Cork, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal and Waterford. Distribution in the Republic will now be centralised in Dublin.
Mr O’Regan said it was “regrettable but inevitable” that changes that were vital for the sustainability of the business would lead to job losses. The “right-sizing” programme will be implemented on a phased basis, and management is now beginning a consultation process with staff and union representatives.
The business, which comprises the soft drinks business acquired from CC in August 2007, said that the need to restructure had been accelerated by “the exceptionally challenging economic and retail conditions in Ireland”.
Britvic’s Irish sales in the year to the end of September fell by 6.4 per cent to €240 million.
