Troubled construction firm Galliford Try fails to offer reassurance on Highland jobs
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THE parent company of Morrison Construction has pledged to honour the firm's commitment to its public contracts, but has been unable to give any reassurances about future job security.
Morrison Construction, which was founded in Tain in 1948 and retains a Highland base in Inverness, is now part of the Galliford Try group, which recently announced plans to close some of its operations as part of a major review of the business.
A total of around 350 job losses are expected to take place across the UK, with the bulk of redundancies will be in Scotland.
The move follows a profit warning last month, anticipating a drop in profits of £30-40 million.
The fall is partly down to adverse settlements and delays on major infrastructure projects including the Queensferry Crossing over the Forth and the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.
A Galliford Try spokesperson said the company would not be giving a breakdown of where job losses would occur at this stage.
A company statement said the move was "a regrettable but unavoidable step" with consultations now under way with those likely to be affected.
It continued: "The major part of the proposed reorganisation will potentially see the infrastructure business unit in Scotland be closed. It is a matter of record that for some time our business has sustained considerable losses on two major infrastructure projects within Scotland.
"We remain fully committed to our existing profitable building operations for Morrison Construction in Scotland, delivering much-needed public facilities together with our partners in the hub vehicles.
"As a business we are confident that the proposed structure we are looking to put in place will provide us with robust foundations and leave us better suited to face the key markets where our future success lies."
Morrison Construction is involved in a number of high profile public and private construction projects under way or planned across the Highlands, including a new £2.5 million visitor centre for Loch Ness by Jacobite at Dochgarroch; a residential and retail development for Highland Council and the Highland Housing alliance on Academy Street; the extension of Invergarry Primary School; and expansion work at Glenmorangie Distillery.
