A Swiss firm which called time on all manufacturing at its Carron factory six years ago is now looking to clear out of the area completely and cut 19 remaining jobs.

Franke UK has announced a proposal to review the UK warehousing operations at Carron Phoenix Ltd in Stenhouse Road – potentially closing the facility and handing its “logistics activities” to a third-party logistics provider in the south of the UK.

Back in 2018 almost three centuries of Falkirk manufacturing history came to an when Franke UK closed its factory, with all production at the Stenhouse Road site ceasing for good on October 26, 2018.

At that time the remaining employees – around 26 of them – were told they would be working in a distribution depot for Franke’s synthetic sink products now being created at its state-of-the-art production facility in Slovakia.

Franke UK has announced proposals to close its warehouse operation in Carron (Picture: Submitted)

placeholder image — Franke UK has announced proposals to close its warehouse operation in Carron (Picture: Submitted)

Three years before that, over 200 people worked at the Carron Phoenix factory, but that number dwindled dramatically as Franke, which took over the company in 2013, pursued its plans to move production elsewhere.

This new proposal forms part of a broader assessment of Franke UK’s logistics network and is intended to further enhance service for customers across the UK and Ireland.

A significant proportion of Franke UK’s customer base is located in the southern region of UK, and the review is intended to evaluate whether alternative

warehousing arrangements could improve service efficiency, customer responsiveness and long-term operational effectiveness.

While no final decisions have been made, Carron Phoenix Ltd will now commence a formal employee consultation process in accordance with its legal obligations.

The consultation process will provide affected employees with an opportunity to understand the proposal and to provide feedback and alternative suggestions.

Franke UK states it recognizes the impact this proposal may have on employees and is committed to engaging openly and constructively with affected employees

and their representatives throughout the consultation process.

A spokesperson for the firm said: “Should the review ultimately result in a decision to close the warehouse, Carron Phoenix Ltd would seek to support affected

employees through the transition and comply with all applicable legal requirements.

"Currently, approximately 19 roles may be affected. Further announcements will be made as appropriate once the consultation process has concluded and any

final decisions have been reached.”