Tioxide closure marks end of an era

By [dlaister] david laister business editor dave.laister@gsmg.co.uk

SIXTY years of production have been brought to a close at Huntsman Tioxide, with the final tonne of pigment packed.

Two months on from the announcement about the proposed closure, some of the 200 staff and contractors gathered to mark the emotional completion of the final batch.

This week has seen the iconic stack bellow for the last time, as the 4,136,860th tonne of titanium dioxide was produced on Pyewipe, and bagged up yesterday.

Process operator Graham Walker, who completes 31 years at Tioxide next month, said: "It was a sad day for Grimsby. It was a sad day for the company and for the area."

Some of the 200 staff and contractors who gathered to mark the emotional completion of the final batch of titanium dioxide.

He is one of a significant percentage of the 200 staff and contractors who will not be looking for alternative employment, once the formal consultation period draws to a close on April 22.

He said: "My family and I have been well looked after, I have enjoyed a good standard of life, and still will. When I started years ago people were envious that we had a job there. The pay was better and the saying was that if you survived the first day you had a job for life."

Five years ago the plant's operational capacity was halved to 40,000 tonnes, and that combined with an ageing infrastructure and the current economic climate hitting customers in the key construction industry hardest has now taken its toll.

Mr Walker said: "A lot of people on the floor were waiting for the date for a long time, we thought it was only a matter of time, but it was still a massive shock when it came.

"When I finally go for the last time, sit down at home and realise I am not going to come back, there will be a lot of emotion. Tioxide has been my life."

The current workforce has more than 2,800 years of combined service. Longest-serving employee Vic Neul began work at the Grimsby site in 1970. "I have enjoyed my time here immensely," he said.

"I will miss the daily contact with my colleagues and I am disappointed I won't achieve my 40 years' service."

Simon Roberts, production manager, spent 18 months with the company on Teesside before coming to Grimsby 12 years ago. He said: "It is sad and disappointing, what has happened. I have worked up from a graduate process engineer, I learnt my trade here and it is a very sad day.

"But I am reasonably optimistic about the future, this place has given me a very good grounding and we will see what happens."

This was echoed by Paul Dalton, site manager. He said: "Employees have already found that the company name is still highly regarded, as we have started to get the first inklings of people finding alternative employment."

One-on-one interviews with staff have been completed, and the management have praised their dedication.

Mr Dalton said: "While the iconic stack will no longer be in operation, the happy memories of proud tradition will remain."

Simon Turner, president of Huntsman's pigments division, added: "I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone at Grimsby who have quite simply been superb in the way they have applied themselves to their work, both before and since the proposed closure announcement."

A huge decontamination operation is now underway to leave the 170-acre site in an acceptable state for the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive as various options for the site's future use are explored.

A small team will continue to operate the ferric sulphate business there, supplying chemicals to the water treatment industry.