SGL Carbon slashes Muir of Ord workforce as Ross-shire plant hit by fall in demand
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A MAJOR private sector employer in Ross-shire is understood to have made a substantial cut to its workforce as a result of a slump in demand.
SGL Carbon specialises in carbon-based materials and offer customers tailor-made solutions across a variety of field ranging from automative to wind turbines. The German-based company, one of the world's leading manufacturers of products from carbon, has a base in Muir of Ord.
A downturn in wind industry demand has had a significant impact on the Muir of Ord site with a number of its production lines due to be shut down.
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A spokesperson for SGL Carbon said: “SGL Carbon produces carbon fibers for the wind industry at the Muir of Ord site.
"As reported in the quarterly reports, sales and earnings in the business unit Carbon Fibers (CF) fell by 33.2 per cent after nine months in 2023 due to the continuing decline in demand from the wind industry.
"Furthermore, high inventories were built up. Due to the ongoing crisis in the wind industry, the production capacities in Muir of Ord remain largely unutilized and several production lines at SGL's Muir of Ord site will have to be shut down.
"We also expect demand to remain at a low level for the time being in 2024. New customers will also not be able to compensate the missing demand. Unfortunately, the shutdown of the production lines is also associated with a reduction in the workforce.”
The company, which is affected by cyclical changes of demand in the industries it supplies, has been asked to quantify expected job losses.
