The shock announcement that consultation has begun with all 168 staff at the Preston manufacturer follows an upbeat trading statement from Taylor Wimpey just a week before which said the housebuilder’s full-year operating margin would be "towards the upper end of our expectations".
The announcement is all the more surprising as it comes as housebuilding is booming and rival building materials – brick and block – suffer from shortages and long lead times.
No explanation was given in the announcement. TTJ asked Taylor Wimpey whether it had made a strategic decision to exit timber frame construction or whether its decision was related to Prestoplan’s business performance, but no answers are yet forthcoming.
"A formal consultation process has commenced with all Prestoplan employees and employee representatives," said the statement."Prestoplan will continue to honour all of its existing contractual obligations. Throughout this process our priorities will remain the welfare of all employees and the continued fulfilment of our clients’ orders."
Prestoplan dispensed with its second leasehold factory in Gloucester a year ago and moved the Weinmann production technology to its main Four Oaks Road site.
At the time Prestoplan managing director Ian Loughnane told TTJ that the recession had been long and deep but the environment had stabilised and the company had developed added-value timber frame panel systems Urban Advantage and PresRoof to help it become the off-site manufacturing partner of choice.
When Prestoplan had been running its Preston and Gloucester factories, the company was able to support a total turnover of £50m.
