Company to close (From Free Press Series)

Company to close

TORFAEN Council has defended the decision to close the Central Supplies Organisation (CSO), based at the Polo Grounds in New Inn, by March this year.

Margaret Twinam, of Pontypool, contacted the Free Press to say more should be done to secure the company's future and that of its employees. Mrs Twinam, whose husband Peter has worked for the company for 25 years, said: "Torfaen council say Central Supplies was losing money.

Corning Consultants were brought in to investigate whether the business was viable and concluded that if money was spent updating its working systems it could be profitable."

CSO employs over 80 people and exists under a joint agreement between Caerphilly County Borough Council, Monmouthshire County Council, Newport City Council and Torfaen County Borough Council to provide a purchasing, supplies, advertising and reprographics services for organisations throughout Gwent.

In 2003/2004 CSO recorded a loss of £140,000 and £234,000 in 2004/05 resulting in a decision being made last December to close the operation by March 2006.

Mr Durkin said: "A strategy intended to achieve this objective without disadvantage to the organisation's customers and with the redeployment of the 80 plus employees was agreed. This was done in consultation with the Trade Unions and is well underway."

The council intends to redeploy most of the 20 plus employees who work for Central Reprographics to Monitor PLC, the facilities management company that operates County Hall for Torfaen and Monmouthshire.

Mr Durkin said no employees have been made compulsorily redundant, some have already left to take up employment elsewhere and out of the 62 employees who are employed at New Inn 29 have already been redeployed internally.