A CREEL manufacturing factory on the Isle of Lewis has announced it will close after 40 years in business.
Gael Force Group has announced that it has “come to the difficult decision” to cease creel production on the island and has consulted with its “loyal and hardworking” workforce about the planned closure.
The company, which has provided equipment and technology for the fishing industry for more than 43 years in Stornoway, has not said how many staff will be affected by the closure.
The Gael Force Group employs around 200 people across its operations.
In a statement, the firm said it had questioned the “viability” of the factory on the island for a “considerable period,” stating the closure was due to a lack of new people taking up creel fishing, according to the BBC.
Managing director Stewart Graham told the broadcaster: “The factory is at the stage where it would need significant investment to bring it into modern compliance requirements and efficiencies.
“So that brings the market decision into even greater focus.”
He added that the company’s staff was his “number one concern”.
In the announcement, the Gael Force Group outlined that its Lewis workforce had “multiple colleagues” with more than 30 years of service, along with its manager, Ewen France, who was the first employee 43 years ago.
A statement on the firm’s website confirmed the decision as it read: “After 43 years of continuous creel production in Stornoway, we have come to the difficult decision to cease production of creels on the island.”
It added: “For a considerable period, the viability of the operation has been in question; however, given that this operation has been the genesis of the Gael Force story, we continued to support our Stornoway production for as long as feasible.
“We appreciate the support we have had for the factory, from our loyal customers all over the UK and Ireland, over many years.
“However, we want to reassure you all that while we will no longer do this in Stornoway, we will continue to produce highly successful and high-quality creels to our renowned Gael Force specifications and designs.”
The statement continued that the wider Gael Force Group will continue to take orders and supply Scotland's marine industry.
It added: “We can assure all our valued customers that Gael Force will remain a very significant supplier of all our fishing gear, as well as creels, together with the extensive range of sophisticated marine equipment we manufacture for professional fishing operations everywhere.”
