A Newport business is set to close its doors and move to Birmingham with staff left in limbo waiting to find out if their jobs are safe.
Giles Insurance Brokers, previously David Moore & Co, is set to shut up shop, with some staff being re-located to other branches and others being made redundant.
Giles, formed in 1967 and in town since 2008, has more than 40 branch offices around the country and bosses have said the merging of smaller offices, such as Newport, was “inevitable” with so many branch offices open.
The Advertiser is led to believe there will be some redundancies, but company bosses refused to say how many staff are set to lose their jobs.
But they did say they are ‘committed to the region and where possible staff will be given the opportunity to relocate.’
A consultation process will now begin with staff over possible job losses and transfers to other branches.
A spokeswoman for the company said they are making more central hubs for the business, rather than having branch offices.
She said: “We have already witnessed the benefits of having central hubs of expertise, such as those in Birmingham and Halesowen.
“We are matching our skills and service capabilities to the needs of the client, and critical mass gives us greater flexibility.
“With these offices and over 100 employees, we are committed to the local communities in which we operate and to providing the local service our clients have come to expect.”
In response to the business pulling out of town, Chamber of Commerce vice chairman David Adams said he was disappointed to see them leave, but added town trade is faring well compared to other areas.
He said: “Any business loss to the town, and unemployment, is a concern.
“We want to conserve the people who work in Newport so it is obviously disappointing to see this.
“The only thing that seems to be bright at the moment is that Newport seems to be doing rather better than a number of other places.
“I have had three or four tales of empty shops in Market Drayton so overall we seem to be weathering quite well.”
Clients of Giles Insurance will now be dealt with from their central offices in Birmingham and Halesowen.
By Jason Lavan
