Redundancies as body armour and military vehicle firm closes Coventry factory

Redundancy consultations have now begun with staff at the Foleshill Road site



A manufacturer which supplies specialist body armour and armoured vehicles to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is to close its Coventry operation.

Redundancy consultations have now begun with staff at Morgan Advanced Materials Composites & Defence Systems based on Foleshill Road.

Shocked staff at the company, formerly NP Aerospace Limited, were told the news on Tuesday April 24.

One member of staff at the Coventry operation, who did not wish to be named, told Coventry Live: “Morgan Advanced Materials - Composites & Defence Systems have announced that they are exiting the Coventry business and propose to close the Foleshill Road site.

“This will result in mass redundancy, of which the initial consultation period began on April 24.”

The member of staff said that there was a bitter irony in that the special protective suit worn by a member of the Army bomb disposal unit in Coventry this week after a home was raided in Brookside Avenue, Whoberley, and suspicious materials were found was made in Coventry.

They said: “The bomb disposal suit worn by the EOD officer during this week’s Coventry incident was manufactured at Morgan in Foleshill .”

A Morgan Advanced Materials spokesman said: “We informed staff that Morgan Advanced Materials plc is seeking a buyer for part of its Composite and Defence Systems business and will unfortunately be closing the remainder of its operations.

“This is due to reduced demand for some product lines.

“We have begun redundancy consultations and will continue to keep staff fully informed.”

A spokesman for the trade union Unite said it was not involved as it did not have recognition at the Coventry site.

Redundancy consultations have now begun...

In my experience these consultations are nothing more than a sham.

I feel sorry for those affected.

Before long there will be nothing left here except housing shops and students some one has seen the light more like. I recall Rotherhams and Areomech being here when I moved back over this way soon as the plans of rebuilding here and after the Richo being built it moved to a different town a lot of homes up the Tamworth Rd who owned businesses here put their big houses up for sale and moved out because of plans building on their green belt.