Laminate maker Formica says it is focussed on its North Shields plant, despite a substantial reduction in its workforce over the past few years.

New accounts for Formica Limited, covering 2024, show issues of market decline lead to a 20% drop in turnover to £35.7m. Despite the drop, the firm managed to narrow operating losses from nearly £37m to £8.3m.

The numbers follow a period of investment into the Coast Road site which have been designed to reduce costs. That has also meant significant shrinkage in the workforce which had been more than 500 people as recently as 2018, and now stands at 215.

Formica has been making laminate products for residential and commercial customers for more than 70 years at the site, but now only uses the west part of it for production. Some of the buildings

See Full Page