Barrett Steel has issued offers of employment to the British Steel distribution centre staff it intends to retain.
The West Yorkshire stockholder is set to swoop for four bases across the UK, taking on facilities in Scunthorpe, Gateshead, Wolverhamption and Dartford.
The offers were co-ordinated with Jingye Group’s communications to staff, with the Chinese giant today agreeing to a conditional completion this coming Monday.
Around 100 staff will be taken on, mitigating the losses slightly as Jingye starts to shape its future ownership with a slimmed-down workforce.
It aims to retain 3,200 highly skilled employees as it looks to build a long-term sustainable business with a £1.2 billion investment being unlocked.
As reported, Bradford-based Barrett had agreed a deal for the metals centres in February.
Barrett’s chief operations officer, Andy Warcup, said: “We have now issued offers of employment to those employees we wish to retain within the Distribution business with the timing of our offers being aligned to the Jingye offers to British Steel employees.
“Our offers were naturally conditional of the deal completing.”
Offices in Cheadle and Edinburgh would also be taken on as part of the deal.
Barrett is a fifth generation family business, formed in 1866, and currently operates from 27 UK sites. It turned over £328 million in the year to September 2019. Barrett has four main business divisions covering general steel, engineering, tubes and international. It employs more than 1,100 people, and has made acquisitions worth £50 million in the last seven years.
