| Oil tool firm looks set to shut up shop |
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| Written by Kayleigh Mcleod | ||||||
 ANOTHER major East Kilbride company is set to close its doors.It is proposed that manufacturing will cease at Baker Oil Tools in Peel Park after 12 years, with owners Baker Hughes citing a decline in demand for their equipment as the reason for closure. The US-based multinational company will now carry out all of its Scottish manufacturing operations for this equipment at the existing Baker Oil Tools facility in Aberdeen. The East Kilbride Mail understand that approximately 120 members of staff are currently employed at the plant following redundancies last year. A Baker Hughes spokesman said: “We had hoped that the redundancies we made during 2009 would allow us to continue manufacturing at both facilities; however, we have determined, in the face of expectations for significantly weaker demand for completions equipment, that we can only support a single facility in Scotland to make this equipment. “As a result, Baker Hughes is proposing that its completion equipment manufacturing in East Kilbride be undertaken at our Aberdeen facility which is closest to the main customer base and our engineering centre. Whilst this would inevitably result in a number of potential redundancies at East Kilbride, up to 44 positions would be relocated to Aberdeen and made available to the existing workforce.” This announcement is another devastating blow to the East Kilbride manufacturing industry after the high profile redundancies at Rolls Royce and Freescale. EK MSP Andy Kerr said: “This is clearly very bad news for all those involved. My hope is that all involved find alternative employment either within the company, at the Aberdeen plant, or gainful employment in the Scottish economy. “The recession has bottomed out but many challenges still lie ahead and it is the role of Government to support those who have been made unemployed. “Public agencies and Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) must get together to ensure we do our utmost for those who are losing their jobs. “It is undeniably a tough blow for East Kilbride, but we must keep our heads up. We have a vibrant local economy, full of strengths, and we must continue to market ourselves as a good place to do business.” Baker Hughes acknowledged the distinguishing quality of the highly skilled East Kilbride workforce. The sterling work of the EK team was recognised as recently as 2008 when executives flew from Houston, Texas, to present a special award. The EK branch were one of only nine Baker Oil tools to be awarded from the companies 900 locations throughout the world. The plant also won a Scottish Engineering Award for Health, Safety and Environment. The Baker Hughes spokesman added: “We appreciate that this is a concerning time for the people at the plant. We are committed to working with the potentially affected employees in a sensitive, respectful and responsible manner. “We are committed to the consultation process.”
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