Hope for Croespenmaen’s Remploy site from Brace’s Bakery

Hope for Croespenmaen’s Remploy site from Brace’s

Brace’s, Wales’ largest independent bakery, has opened discussions to try and purchase Remploy’s factory at Croespenmaen.

Remploy announced yesterday that it was set to close 36 of its 54 factories, putting more than 1,700 jobs in jeopardy.

Remploy’s factory in Croespenmaen, which operates a printing and packaging business and employs 44 people including 43 disabled employees, is one of those being proposed for closure.

However, one of Brace’s three plants is next door to the Croespenmaen factory and the bakery has pledged to try and buy the site.

Mark Brace, director of Brace’s, said: “The Remploy factory has provided such a great service to disabled people since the initial concept was born after the second world war and it is sad to see this local factory closing. However, we have previously expressed an interest in purchasing the site and approached Remploy to initiate negotiations back in 2003, before we built our new bakery at Pen-y-Fan.

“We have a strong presence in Wales and the South West which is continuing to grow as we maintain the position of the number one selling bread maker in the region. Business is going from strength to strength and we would very much welcome the opportunity to explore options of purchasing this site. It would allow us to expand our Croespenmaen plant, which we already know has tremendous potential for us.

“It has always been our aim to focus on continuous investment in our three manufacturing plants while creating opportunities for employment for over 330 people within the local community.”