Norville looks for job cuts with site closure

Long-established optical company Norville has asked for members of staff to consider applying for voluntary redundancy or early retirement. It is not known how many people the business wants to shed from its payroll.

The news has emerged as the century-old firm announced it is to merge its operation onto one site in Gloucester, at its high-tech Magdala Road premises.

An employer of around 200 staff in the city, the Norville name is synonymous with the British optical industry. Its aim to cut its workforce will be taken by many in the profession as a sure sign of a downturn in the UK ophthalmic market.

A spokeswoman for the business told optician: ‘The position is that the company has asked for some voluntary redundancies, or early retirements where feasible, having advised the staff that they need to reduce their labour costs.’

She confirmed that no-one had been given a redundancy notice, though could not say how many individuals the company hoped would come forward to reduce labour payments.

Norville has consolidated the warehousing into the main Magdala Road lab site in the city, and is closing its Paul Street unit.
In 2003 Norville invested £2m into its lens production facilities, and has reported that there are ‘extensive improvements’ for its business to be sited on the Magdala Road base.