City firm to shed 50 jobs
Around 50 jobs are to go at one of Wolverhampton's biggest companies, it was announced today.
UTC Aerospace Systems is making the cuts just months after taking over Goodrich. Bosses are now looking for voluntary redundancies at the factory in Stafford Road, Fordhouses, where 1,300 people work.
Company spokeswoman Donna Halfpenny said the firm was making the cuts in order to remain competitive.
"We are currently inviting applications for voluntary redundancies," she said. "These reductions will help us to better align our businesses with the current market conditions, while continuing to focus on sustained growth for the future.
"We continually assess our staffing needs to manage our cost structure and adjust our skillset to ensure we remain competitive."
Earlier this year, the historic Goodrich Social Club, which was founded on the site in 1903, was closed to make way for an expansion of factory floor space after new contracts were won.
Staff were said to be disappointed with the decision to shut the club down.
There has been an aerospace company on the site for around 70 years but it has changed ownership numerous times in the last 40 years.
Prior to its current guise, which formed in July this year, it was known as Goodrich Actuation Systems after being bought by Goodrich Corporation from TRW in 2002.
But, following the £10.5 billion acquisition of Goodrich by fellow American group United Technologies, the Wolverhampton site became part of the new UTC Aerospace Systems operation – created by the combination of Goodrich with another company Hamilton Sundstrand.
United Technologies saw its profit for the third quarter of the year rise 6.9 per cent to £887 million.
