Wolseley plans to lay off 150 in Ireland

Industrial Distribution staff -- Industrial Distribution, 6/6/2008 6:39:00 AM

The British building materials distributor, which ranked first on INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION’s 2008 Big 50 list of distributors with sales of $31.6 billion last year, said the headcount reduction comes in response to Ireland’s slumping construction industry.

Employment in private Irish construction firms fell by 11.7 percent in March, compared to the same period last year, according to the Irish government, and roughly 50,000 of Ireland’s construction workers, about one-quarter of the total, are expected to lose their jobs by the end of 2009, the Irish Independent reported.

“Over the past five years, Wolseley Ireland has grown rapidly, with total employee numbers doubling from 600 to 1,200. With the Irish new-build residential market changing, we have reviewed our business to ensure that our resources and structures are appropriate for the requirements of the current marketplace,” Wolseley Ireland managing director Pat Roche said. “Regrettably, as a result of this review, approximately 150 roles will be affected across the organization. We will do all we can to ensure that those affected will be treated with the utmost consideration at this difficult time.”