Refresco in Wrexham to potentially close with 147 jobs lost

Refresco employs 147 at its Wrexham plant

Nearly 150 jobs are under threat at a drinks production company in north Wales.

Refresco UK is consulting with workers at its Wrexham site over a possible permanent closure.

The company said the move had not been caused by coronavirus, though the pandemic had "compounded" the fall in demand for single-use drink cartons.

Managing director David Saint said: "I am aware of the potential impact on our employees and their families."

The company bottles fruit juice for most of the UK's major drinks manufacturers and employs 1,700 staff at seven sites across the UK, including 147 on Spectrum Business Park, Wrexham.

However, it said, a long-term reduction in demand for the small-format beverages produced at the site had "significantly" affected the plant's viability, despite looking into using fully recyclable packaging.

In a statement the company said: "The long-term decreased demand has been compounded by current circumstances, which have further impacted the Wrexham's site's commercial viability."

Mr Saint added: "I know this news will be a shock. As we enter this consultation process, we will provide as much support to our staff as we can during what we know is a very uncertain time."