Fruit of the Loom to close UK ops this year, focus on Europe

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
May 23, 2018

Clothing company Fruit of the Loom is moving its EMEA headquarters operations out of the UK with 70 jobs to be lost as a result. The US-based company has taken a strategic decision to relocate manufacturing to mainland Europe and to North Africa as it optimises its supply chain.

The closure will mean that the head office and distribution centre that are based in Telford in Shropshire will be shut with the local Chamber of Commerce saying it was a major blow for the area.

But the company said that the move was necessary with the marketplace at present being highly competitive and there being a need to streamline operations. It stressed that the move isn't a reflection of any underperformance on the part of the operations in Telford.

The closure is expected to be complete by the end of this year.

Fruit of the Loom, a company which was founded in the mid-19th century, employs more than 32,000 people globally. It has operated in Europe for over 30 years and says that its European business is key to its international growth plans.

As well as the HQ in Telford, it has a major distribution centre in Kaiserslautern, Germany.