Wrightbus

Type
Bankruptcy
Country
United Kingdom
Region
Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland; Belfast
Location of affected unit(s)
Ballymena
Sector
Manufacturing
(29 - 30) Manufacture for transport equipment
29.2 - Manufacture of bodies and coachwork for motor vehicles; manufacture of trailers and semi-trailers
29.20 - Manufacture of bodies and coachwork for motor vehicles; manufacture of trailers and semi-trailers
1,200 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
25 September 2019
Employment effect (start)
Foreseen end date

Description

Wrightbus, a Ballymena based bus manufacturer, has filed for insolvency and announced 1,200 job cuts. Around 50 workers will be kept on in the interim. The company, which was founded in 1946, manufactures Routemaster buses for the UK market, however, their market has been getting smaller in the recent years as a result of growing competition with manufacturers of electric vehicles. Due to financial pressures, Wrightbus had been seeking either new investment or a new owner, though it was ultimately not able to secure any additional funding. The Unions have called for the UK government to intervene. The timeframe for the redundancies has not been announced.

Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2019), Wrightbus, Bankruptcy in United Kingdom, factsheet number 98950, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/98950.