Around 60 jobs will be lost from a cosmetics manufacturer in Rhymney, with the roles moving across the border to England.
Richards and Appleby make high-end make-up and toiletries products for several high profile brands, such as Joan Collins Timeless Beauty, Leighton Denny Expert Nails and James Read Tan.
The company, based on the Heads Of The Valleys Industrial Estate, has said the jobs are being moved as part of an exercise to protect itself against uncertainty surrounding the UK’s vote to leave the European Union.
Richards and Appleby said it recently acquired a manufacturer based in Thetford, Norfolk, and will be transferring around 60 jobs.
Managing Director Mitchell Field explained the decision was based on analysis carried out after plans to build an opencast mine at nearby Nant Llesg were first announced in October 2013. The application for the mine was turned down by Caerphilly Council last year and it has since gone to appeal.
Mr Field said: “The mine kickstarted this, but it wasn’t the reason.
“What happened three years ago was we won an award to bring the factory up to [British Retail Consortium] standard with a £1.6 million grant so that we would employ around 50 to 60 people.
“We did not pursue the grant as we were concerned about the mine.
“We fought the mine, won the case, and we should have gone back to reapply for the grant and do the job we wanted to start to do, but we bought another factory and the opportunity was lost because of the timing.
“It has turned out to be far less expensive than the cost of upgrading this one.”
Mr Field added that uncertainty from customers after the EU referendum meant the company needed to act to protect itself in the future.
Around 50 jobs will remain in Rhymney.