Clacton: Magazine firm to move into Bard site (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Clacton: Magazine firm to move into Bard site

9:31am Thursday 8th May 2008

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A COMPANY is set to move into Clacton's largest factory site which has stood empty for the past four years.

Pakfin is taking a lease on the former Bards premises in Valleybridge Road in a £1.7 million investment.

The magazine finishing firm has main sites in Commerce Way, Colchester, and Earls Colne Business Park, Earls Colne.

It has five other storage and warehouse facilities, including in Boxsted, Hadleigh (Suffolk) and Rowhedge.

About 100 jobs, close to 200 at peak times, will relocate from the Colchester area to Clacton.

It aims to work exclusively from the 118,000 sq ft site by May 19.

The firm specialises in "partwork", collectables magazine series, for example building a model boat by collecting the parts or collecting figurines.

Director Frank Owen the reason for moving is to consolidate all its operations under one roof and for the first time.

He said: "It makes so much sense for the business in terms of savings and better organisation.

"With partworks there are peaks and troughs and we need to look at other avenues such as shrink-wrapping, providing storage and warehousing facilities.

"This will provide us with the space to do that."

It is hoped extra jobs will be created when Pakfin gets to the stage of developing further.

It plans to set up a call centre for subscriptions and hopes to tap into Clacton's call centre workforce.

The town lost about 400 jobs when the Woolwich call centre in Jackson Road finally closed in November.

Mr Owen said the fact the business is currently "dotted around" the Colchester area will lessen the impact of the jobs moving to the coast.

He has been in talks with Tendring Council's regeneration team since October 2006.

Les Double, portfolio holder for regeneration, said: "It has been well worth the wait and it is great for Tendring to be able to attract a firm like Pakfin to the district."

Bard, a multinational healthcare product developer and manufacturer, closed its operation at the Valleybridge Road site on July 31 with the loss of 166 jobs.

It has been empty ever since.

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