Moray SNP MSP Richard Lochhead said yesterday the loss of more than 30 jobs at a failed Fochabers engineering firm was a “sorry blow” to the economy.
Mr Lochhead said the redundancies – caused by the collapse of Brown Engineering – were “significant” and he hoped the staff would find other work in Moray.
Blair Nimmo and Geoff Jacobs of professional service firm KPMG were brought in to liquidate the business earlier this month.
Brown Engineering, which made and installed machinery and pipework for the distilling and malting and oil and gas industries, employed 33 people when it folded. Thirty-two were made redundant immediately and one was kept on to assist the liquidators.
The company was hit by increased competition in the distilling industry and a fall in demand from oil and gas customers.
“Despite significant investment from the directors over several years, trading deteriorated further and the company could no longer meet its liabilities,” KPMG said.
Mr Lochhead said: “The liquidation of Brown Engineering is a sorry blow to Moray’s economy, with the sad loss of 32 jobs and a 40 year old firm.
“This is a significant number of job losses, many of which will be highly skilled. Given the massive investment taking place in local infrastructure projects as well as the whisky industry, I do hope opportunities open up for the staff, hopefully in our other local companies that need such skills.
“It goes to show that reputable firms here in Moray can fall victim to the downturn of the oil and gas industry and that the impact of the sector’s performance is felt well beyond the boundaries of Aberdeen.”
Moray Tory MP Douglas Ross said: “I am keen to ensure all local agencies work together to provide the necessary support and training to those who have lost their jobs. It’s vital everything that can be done, is done, to find employees new employment in the local area.”
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