Witter Towbars offered consultancy help to save jobs

Witter Towbars says it is considering options to make it a "sustainable" UK business

A Flintshire towbar maker has been offered Welsh Government help to bring in consultants in a bid to save 94 jobs.

Witter Towbars said in August it plans to stop manufacturing on the Deeside Industrial Estate from December.

Economy Secretary Ken Skates met managers and union leaders at the site on Wednesday to discuss ways to secure the plant's future.

He said he wanted to see the "high value" jobs kept on Deeside.

"I've made an offer from Welsh Government to help with bringing in consultants to look at opportunities within the company to save those valuable manufacturing jobs," he said.

"That offer will now be considered by Horizon, the company that owns Witter, and I hope they say yes."

Mr Skates says he wants the jobs to stay in Wales

Mr Skates said he had been assured that the company would work with officials to identify ways of staying on Deeside.

The company has already started a 90-day consultation on the 94 jobs losses, and has said 60 other posts would be retained at the site.

Witter Towbars was acquired by US-based Horizon Global in 2013, which Unite union has said wants to move production to "other low cost countries".

The union called the proposals "devastating" and Witter was criticised for not responding to offers of help.

"Whilst it may be true the company would secure lower labour costs by moving to Romania, I do not believe that they would find a workforce that is as skilled or as loyal as the one it has here," added the economy secretary.