30 jobs to go at Abbey Well water in Morpeth

Apr 4 2009 by Dave Black, The Journal

Abbey Well Water

ABOUT 30 jobs are to be axed at a renowned Northumberland mineral water company following its takeover by a multi-national American soft drinks giant.

Coca-Cola bought the family-run Waters and Robson business – maker of Abbey Well mineral water – last November, but a month later it emerged that job losses were in the pipeline at the Morpeth bottling plant.

Initially it was feared that 49 of the 86 employees would be made redundant as part of a restructuring of the business, which has been operating since 1910.

Now – following extensive consultations with the workforce – Coca-Cola says a maximum of 30 workers will lose their jobs, although it hopes to reduce that figure even further.

The cutbacks are mainly being made in sales and distribution, because of the existing strength of the £19bn turnover Coca-Cola’s sales team.

Yesterday Coca-Cola Enterprises spokeswoman Sasha Qadri said up to 30 posts would be made redundant at Morpeth and efforts were being made to find alternative employment within the company for those affected.

“This is all about integrating the Abbey Well business with the existing Coca-Cola operation, and the redundancies have been identified in sales and distribution.

“The really positive thing is that we launched the new Schweppes Abbey Well brand last month and it is already in more than 30,000 independent outlets across the country, and will be listed in supermarkets. We are investing in the business at Morpeth.”

Coca-Cola has said the new Schweppes Abbey Well drinks will be offered to athletes taking part in the London 2012 Olympic Games as part of Coke’s sponsorship deal. It will also use the brand to front a fitness campaign in the run-up to the event.

Abbey Well’s water is drawn from a 117m-deep artesian well beneath the Northumberland countryside, before being bottled at the Morpeth plant, which generates a turnover of around £11m.

Yesterday Morpeth town councillor David Parker said: “I have said to Coca-Cola that I am unhappy about any people at Waters and Robson being made redundant, especially the way things are at the moment.

“While it is good to know that the company is continuing, I regret that some employees are going to lose their jobs. It is a case of mixed feelings, because I am pleased that the numbers appear to be less than first feared.”