Historic Imperial Tobacco factory in Lenton ends production

Nottingham’s Imperial Tobacco factory will make its last cigarette today, ending 140 years of production in the city and leading to hundreds of job losses.

The decision to close the company’s Horizon factory was made two years ago and includes the distribution centre next door to it.

A total of 540 people worked on the site when the decision was made in April 2014, but that number has slowly been reduced over the last two years.

Video: Nottingham historian discusses the history of Imperial Tobacco 

Around 320 people still work at the factory today with 250 being made redundant over the next week.

Seventy people will continue to work at the site for the next 18 months as it is decommissioned and prepared for sale.

THE DAYS OF MASS PRODUCTION IN THE UK ARE OVER

Chris Joyce worked at the factory his whole working life, joining as an engineering apprentice straight from school to when he retired at the age of 51 six years ago.

His son also works for company and is one of the 70 that will help to prepare the factory for its new role.

Mr Joyce said: “They were a very good company to work for, they looked after their own. It’s a sad day, but it has been coming, the days of mass production in the UK are over.

“The future of cigarette production lies in the east. It is no longer economical to make cigarettes here because of government regulations and all the cigarettes being smuggled into the country.”

Picture: The factory supplies the UK with Lambert & Butler, JPS and Embassy cigarettes

The factory has been in operation since 1972 and has produced billions of cigarettes that have been shipped all over the world.

Councillor Nick McDonald, Portfolio Holder for Growth, said: “We’ve seen many manufacturing businesses close over the years in Nottingham, and of course it’s always sad when production finally stops at a firm with strong local roots and which generations of Nottingham families have worked for.

“Imperial Tobacco has been part of the fabric of the city for a long time. However, we must look to the future. We are building a strong, 21st century economy in Nottingham.”

Imperial Tobacco is restructuring its operations to save money and a large factory in Nantes, France is also due to close, which will help to save £300m a year by 2018.

Picture: The distribution centre next to the factory is also due to close 

Alison Cooper, Chief Executive of Imperial Tobacco, said: “The prospect of job losses is always regrettable and we will be doing all we can to support employees and ensure that they are treated in a fair and responsible manner.”

Imperial has set itself the target that at least 80 per cent of its Nottingham workforce is supported into new jobs or retirement.

Big shock to be applying for new opportunities

Nottingham-based Futures and Imperial have worked together to organise a recruitment fair with more than 35 local employers and 400 vacancies and also offered recruitment advice to the staff.

Stephen Chapman, Team Manager at Futures, said: “We have worked with and met some employees who have never changed jobs or faced redundancy throughout their entire careers. For them it was a big shock to be applying for new opportunities.

“The help and support we have provided has been as much about helping them to realise that they have many transferable skills that are attractive to other employers, as well as finding suitable vacancies for them.”

The factory produced 17 billion cigarettes last year but this number has been steadily declining in recent years. The factory is estimated to contribute £500m to the local economy each year.

Simon Evans, Imperial brands Media Relations Manager, said: “The site is one of our largest factories globally and produces the vast majority of our cigarettes for the UK market.

“We are seeking to sell the factory site, hopefully to a buyer able to provide job opportunities in the city.”