Edmund Robson’s Tyne Dock site in South Shields has been closed, with the business relocating to parent company North Yorkshire Timber’s North Shields facility.
The move was facilitated by plans to redevelop the Port of Tyne according to North Yorkshire Timber, which effectively left Edmund Robson without a home. North Yorkshire Timber said it had been offered a new facility at the Port of Tyne, but that it was unsuitable for the company.
Although eight factory staff have been made redundant, three sales staff have been relocated to North Shields where they will continue to sell through the Edmund Robson name.
Furthermore, North Yorkshire Timber said the company could relocate again if a site arises, but for now will operate from a different location in a different format.
Edmund Robson, which celebrated its centenary this year, was acquired by North Yorkshire Timber in November last year. At the time, managing director Peter Kershaw described the acquisition as a “regionally strategic move northwards for us, adding to our strength in the north-east”.