Furniture firm set for more lay-offs

A family-run Norfolk business has announced it is planning further lay-offs in an attempt to slash costs.Attleborough-based furniture company, Lee and Plumpton, sent letters to workers this week, seeking willing candidates for voluntary redundancy.

A family-run Norfolk business has announced it is planning further lay-offs in an attempt to slash costs.

Attleborough-based furniture company, Lee and Plumpton, sent letters to workers this week, seeking willing candidates for voluntary redundancy.

'We've certainly put an announcement out to our staff that we're still seeing relatively hard times, but not talking great and vast numbers,' said Ken Seaman, the company's commercial director.

'We currently employ 142 people, regrettably we still need to reduce our staffing levels across the business by eight.'

'If anything, we've really just got this week to see if anyone comes forward, and after that we're going to have another look,' he said.

The company made 43 redundancies at its Bunn's Bank industrial estate base late last year.

At the time the company said that although it regretted having to downsize, the move would place it in a good position to weather the coming economic storm.

The firm is currently working a four-day week to reduce outgoings, and looking to invest money in new designs.

'We're like every company at the moment. We're looking to every area of the business where we can cut costs, and the more costs we can cut, the more jobs we can save,' said Mr Seaman.

'At this moment we're just waiting for more information. We're optimistic about the future.'

'We don't want to alarm anybody. We're not doing a massive culling operation.'

'We have spent the last three months looking at ways to restructure the business and looking to reduce costs where ever possible,' he said.