The jobs of doomed DIY chain Focus employees hung in the balance following the announcement that most of its UK stores are to close.
Mr Grant also hoped Fife Council and Fife Enterprise could help those affected to find other employment or training.
Blaming Focus’ plight on the depressed economy, Mr Grant said, “It may be people are seeing DIY home improvements as an optional extra and it’s one of the first things to go. Because it’s a competitive market it tends to operate on slender margins.”
Labour MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Claire Baker expressed disappointment that Fife’s three Focus stores could close and called for further investment to create new jobs in the area.
“This is concerning news and my thoughts are with the staff and their families who must be feeling a great deal of uncertainty at the moment,” she said.
“Any job losses will have a devastating impact on individuals and the wider Fife economy.
“If other companies are interested in taking on the stores all efforts must be made to ensure this investment comes to Fife.”
She added, “We need to redouble our efforts to bring jobs and investment to the area. Too many people are losing their jobs in the kingdom and we need to tackle this problem head-on.
“Whether it’s through a Scottish Future Jobs Fund to create local jobs and training places, an apprenticeship guarantee to young Fifers or ambitious targets to stimulate exports, something needs to be done to make sure that we have the skills and conditions to attract investment and boost the local economy.”Angus viewsForfar Angus Alliance councillor Colin Brown said, “It seems as if it is just one thing after another for Forfar at the moment.
“We have had a couple of local firms go under recently and now we see another situation of people possibly out of a job and with few prospects to get back into employment locally.”
He admitted that hopes of a new name appearing quickly above the door look very slim.
Mr Brown fears that if the shutters are pulled down on the 25,000 sq. ft. premises close, the one-time supermarket might become a derelict white elephant.
Local councillor Alex King called the demise of Focus “another disaster” for Arbroath.
“It seems that whenever anything like this happens the rest of the country gets the cold and Arbroath gets pneumonia,” said Mr King.
“This closure follows several others across the town and there are two units that are now going to be lying empty at the Westway.
“I believe that some Focus stores have been taken over by B&Q and if that is the case then I would question why are they not going to carry on running the Arbroath site.
“Once again the town will lose out to Dundee if the store is not kept open.”
The group has three outlets in Fife at Leven, Glenrothes and Dunfermline making it unclear whether any of them has a future. The crisis also affected Angus, as fears for the future of its Arbroath and Forfar stores intensified.
The Courier understands staff at Arbroath have been told the Westway branch will close and a similar outlook for The Myre outlet in Forfar has emerged.
Administrators Ernst & Young have said 120 of the 175 stores will be axed and retail consultants will advise on the sale of all stock, with closing down sales beginning this weekend.
The remaining 55 stores have been sold in three separate deals, and the Leven shop is rumoured to be among those bought by B&Q owners Kingfisher but Ernst & Young have refused to confirm if any Fife branches are among those saved due to confidentiality agreements.
Despite the potential lifeline thrown to Leven, there is no guarantee the 18 staff will keep their jobs if B&Q take over they could advertise for their own staff. Leven staff are said to have begun a petition in a bid to safeguard their jobs and customers are being asked to sign it.
If all three of the region’s Focus stores do close it will be the latest in a series of jobs blows to hit Fife so far this year. Just last week a Levenmouth fencing firm folded with the loss of around 60 jobs, and in April Rosyth firm Acorn Pets closed several stores.Focus statementA statement issued by joint administrators of Focus DIY Group Simon Allport, Tom Jack and Alan Hudson from Ernst & Young confirmed the appointment of retail consultants Gordon Brothers to advise on the sale of all stock of the Focus DIY stores.
A closing down sale begins this weekend and the administrators confirmed they have already been successful in finding buyers for 55 stores in three separate deals.
They hope to secure the sale of further stores with the transfer of associated employees, but have drawn a veil of secrecy over the stores bought over and the price paid.
Mr Allport said, “We have been working hard to sell the business as a going concern and to maximise value for creditors. While we have been successful in securing up to 900 jobs from the sale of 55 stores in three separate deals, finding a buyer for the whole of the business has not been possible.
“UK retailers are facing one of the most challenging retail environments in recent times and the DIY sector has become highly competitive, with only the strongest players being able to thrive and survive.”
“While the administrators are continuing negotiations for the sale of a number of stores across the group, the stock liquidation is likely to result in a number of Focus stores closing with the remaining employees going through a redundancy process.
“Employees will be offered appropriate support and advice throughout the redundancy process and Jobcentre Plus representatives will be providing support to help find future employment.
“We wish to thank all Focus DIY employees for their continued support in what has been a difficult and uncertain time.”Angus outlookForfar Focus staff were tight-lipped but the signs are not good, with speculation that the branch is among those facing the axe. Focus came to Forfar in October 2006, when it opened in the former Myre Road premises of Tesco.
The likely closure was described as the latest bitter pill for a town reeling from other business collapses this year.
Meanwhile, the predicted closure of the Arbroath store was described as a “body blow”, despite plans for a new supermarket at the same retail park.
Slim hopes had remained that the Westway site would be one of those taken over by industry giant B&Q, but it looks unlikely.
The folding of the outlet follows that of neighbouring unit Acorn Pets in late April and the Department for Work and Pensions announcing closure plans for its Grant Road benefit centre sometime in 2012.Politicians’ viewsFife politicians have called for clarification on the matter to ensure some degree of certainty for the workers affected.
Fife Council leader Peter Grant said it was “very sad” the company was in administration.
“Although it’s a hopeful sign that at least some of the stores will continue to operate and some jobs will be saved, the uncertainty will create a great deal of worry for people,” he said.
“While I can understand the need for confidentiality, I hope the people who work at these stores will be given some certainty quite soon.”
“I hope as many of these jobs as possible can be saved, but if these stores are to close permanently the people who work there need to be given that information as soon as possible so they can plan their next step.”
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