howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
1 February 2011
14:3990981sorry to be the bringer of bad news but pfizer have just announced that they are closing down their research development centre leading to job losses of 2400 over the next two years.
they closed down the manufacturing arm in 2007.
it is hoped that many of the staff can be re-employed at other sites and at companies which done work for pfizer.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
1 February 2011
14:5790982http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12335801
It was on a downwards spiral when I left in 2003, things coming to the end of their patent and nothing new to replace them.
Millions have been spent on the site so I would be surprised if someone didn't come along and snap up their prized research facilities....
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
1 February 2011
15:0390984Bad for those affected and the local economy in the short term but, as Paul says above, it might not be all doom and gloom - a similar situation happened when Shell left their Sittingbourne site but it's now got lots of small companies there with a much wider skills and product base.
1 February 2011
15:0790987Yes Howard I just heard that on the news. Bad news for local workforce but let's hope Ray is right and it's the springboard for something better. Good luck to all concerned.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
1 February 2011
15:2090989I just had an email with the news. It is a blow but lets hope that this can be turned to an opportunity.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,904
1 February 2011
15:3490991I knew a lot of people who worked there, it is those on the factory floor that will be hit the worst, a lot of the top workers will be moved to other sites that is if they want to move.
A sad day for the area, I just hope that new companies do move in.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
1 February 2011
16:1691000Press Release just in about this now on our FRONTPAGE...with a statement from PaulW.
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
1 February 2011
18:0491019Terrible news indeed, 2,400 families affected immediately with obviously a knock-on effect hitting not only suppliers but a lot of local businesses.
Guest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
1 February 2011
18:3791023Let's hope someone with a nice fat redundancy cheque wants to buy a bar & restaurant in beautiful downtown Dover.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
1 February 2011
19:2891034paul the fuhrer came across very well in his interview on meridian a few minutes ago, making clear the urgency of the situation.
he also raised the point that has been expressed on here many times, we are not the wealthy south east and government help is urgently required.
we then had the science minister saying that he would be holding talks with paul carter top honcho at maidstone, a bit pointless in my view. most of kent is fairly wealthy, i wonder if mr carter and the cabinet there know where dover is.
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,904
1 February 2011
19:4191038Of cause they will Howard, they pass through it on their way to their holiday villas in Europe.
I agree the south and eastern corner is nothing like the afluent areas in the middle of Kent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Unregistered User
1 February 2011
19:4891042Spare a thought for our own Kevin Charles. A stalwart.
Watty
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
1 February 2011
20:3891060Paul Carter and KCC do know where Dover is, Howard, they even had a front page headline in the Dover Mercury last December about Dover and KCC plans for the Port and the port traffic.
They seem to have good projects going, and dropped me an email.
It can only get better now!
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
4 February 2011
17:3391494The final toll will be in excess of 5,000, over double what is being suggested. Some have already been served with 90 days notice. I believe the real reason they are shutting Sandwich is because they are centralising themselves in Cost Rica. Although they have been in Costa Rica for over 50 years, last year they started moving many U.S and Caribbean facilities into Costa Rica, for reasons below.
"The management made the decision based on the fact that Costa Rica is a country which is politically and economically stable ,In spite of the global financial crisis that affects us without exception, Costa Rica continues being an attractive place for large-scale companies to establish in, in virtue of the country investment striving to offer qualified human resource and by virtue of the political stability that distinguishes us, just like Pfizer did reinforcing their business in Costa Rica", added Oscar Arias, President of Costa Rica.
So it seems although they are saying in Sandwich, the reasons for shutting Sandwich is not political, obviously it is.
What the President is saying is that they can offer cheap labour. I am sure; some will say it is a shrewd move to keep the company afloat and ahead of its competition.
Having just announced Fourth Quarter profits of $2.9 Billion, revenues rising 6% for same quarter to $17.6 Billion, I would say shutting Sandwich is a despicable way to treat its employees that have helped to make Pfizer's that fortune.
Also, is the new dual carriage way, that is currently being built to accommodate Pfizer's promised continuance in Sandwich, going to be finished or dropped, at a massive cost of finances and yet more jobs?
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
4 February 2011
18:2091500Good point, Gary. The answer is that Britain's national average wage is a lot higher than in most non-industrialised countries. This is one reason why investing in Britain and other industiralised countries with a high average national wage is all the more unlikely.
It could well explain why Pfizer is packing up, as it is cheaper to produce elsewhere.
The best answer would be to decrease the value of the super-pound, which would bring down the national average wage in Britain when calculating in other currencies, and make British products more competitive on the world market.
The downturn would be that essential imports such as petrol and metal would become more expensive.
This opinion is a 100% economy point of view, nothing to do with politics.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
4 February 2011
18:3191502The Sandwich operation is not a 'cheap labour' one but one for highly skilled and highly professional researchers. I think you will find that such operations are not going to Costa Rica though perhaps manufacturing may be (not done in Sandwich)
In fact I think you will find there is some consolidation going on in Belgium - a Dover Chamber member has won a contract there for signage.
The best ways to keep companies like Pfizer...
Drop the worse labour laws that are more to do with political correctness than anything sensible, the Equality Act for instance.
Make it easier to sack people so companies will be more willing to employ people.
Reduce corporate taxation and taxes on individuals - that means what I have been saying for a long time, more public spending cuts bring the state down to less than 30% of GDP from 53%.
Bring some sense of balance and moderation into Health and Safety, dropping the current over-the-top nonsense.
Reduce the costs of employing people - NI for instance, better still get rid of it.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
4 February 2011
18:4391505i have doubts too about costa rica, no big company would look at any latin american country and think it politically stable, things change so quickly.
an american company might risk getting some cheap manufacturing done down there but not something like research and development of drugs which is highly costly.
Unregistered User
4 February 2011
19:1191506Some sensible comments but at the end of the day, it's loss of patent income & moving out of respiratory & allergy medicine research.
Nothing to do with labour costs or UK taxation.
Watty