Written - BOSCH, Cardiff

Today Bosch has confirmed its intention to close its Cardiff site.  Whilst we are truly disappointed in the news from Bosch, we will continue to work with the company to support and help the workforce and look to the future of the site. 

On 20th October 2009, the previous First Minister and Deputy First Minister met senior Bosch management from Germany and offered to meet with key decision makers of Bosch Board, to re-emphasise the importance of Bosch to Wales.

The Bosch Cardiff site is in a non-assisted area regarding financial support for capital investment.  However, since September 2009, support was identified towards development costs of a new product at the site, but the company declined as no new commercially viable product had been identified.

On 14th January 2010, Bosch announced that a recommendation had been made for production at the Cardiff plant to be phased out and transferred to Hungary, with full closure taking place during 2011.  The announcement followed the company’s completion of a study which it began in 2007, looking into the feasibility of the introduction of a new alternator product to the Cardiff plant.  The company tell us that this analysis showed that a new product could not be competitively manufactured at the Cardiff site.

The Deputy First Minister met Bosch Senior Management from Germany on 14th January 2010 to press the case for keeping the plant open.  The Bosch Management Team again outlined that the Group is currently facing the worst economic downturn for many decades and has been especially hit in the automotive sector

On 20th January 2010, the First Minister met Bosch Cardiff’s Union representatives, who outlined that the Union was not accepting the recommendation to phase out production at the Cardiff plant and intended to take a delegation with the support of the Welsh Assembly Government, to Germany.

On 8th February 2010, both the First Minister and Deputy First Minister travelled to Germany to meet members of the Bosch Board to once again press the case for their Welsh plant to remain open.  We also urged them to do all that they can to offer alternative products from within the Group to keep production at the Cardiff site.  However, none of the alternatives were considered feasible.  Whilst they welcomed the meeting, they indicated their intention to close the site despite us once again offering Assembly Government support.

Today’s announcement confirming that the Cardiff plant will close during summer 2011 is a devastating blow to the highly skilled workforce and their families and we have pledged our full support to the employees of Bosch Cardiff.  We will now work with the company and Unions to outline the support packages that can be provided for the affected employees to help them to develop their skills and find alternative work.

During our meeting in Germany, Bosch confirmed the future of the site had not yet been considered, but are keen to work with us to explore any future potential use of the site.  Bosch is also keen to work with us on the skills and training for the workforce.  Our officials are now taking this forward.

In addition, the Assembly Government is working closely with Bosch Cardiff’s Welsh supply chain highlighting that there will be opportunities for the companies to continue supplying Bosch’s overseas plants.