Jobs go as Norfolk Lavender left with bad debt
ICONIC West Norfolk firm and massive tourist draw Norfolk Lavender has launched a rescue plan after being saddled with a six-figure bad debt.
The Heacham firm was forced to slash its workforce by half last month, but has insisted its future is secure.
Managing director Henry Head said: "Because of a major bad debt from a distributor, Norfolk Lavender had to make 13 redundancies in the middle of November. Another distributor has been found and the company is working out a solution to the problems."
Difficulties began in September when distributor Gleneagles of Edinburgh went into administration.
Norfolk Lavender formed an alliance with Gleneagles last year when the Scottish firm took over its Fakenham warehouse. Mr Head said the warehouse, which employed eight people, closed in March.
Norfolk Lavender, which famously distils lavender on site as well as supplying plants and fragrant products, has been trading for 76 years and attracts around 150,000 visitors a year.
Mr Head added: "Norfolk Lavender is continuing to trade. We have a craft fair this weekend and we are open every day and welcoming visitors every day.
"There will be a Norfolk Lavender operating off this site into the future. This is a temporary problem.
"We have been resilient to the general downturn in trade."
He would not reveal the exact amount the firm was owed, but said it was a six-figure sum.
North West Norfolk MP Henry Bellingham said: "Norfolk Lavender is an iconic firm and also an extremely good employer.
"Although they may be relatively small in terms of employee numbers they are very, very important in terms of tourism.
"We have had at least four recessions since they started up and I have no doubt they have the intuition and imagination to be able to survive. Obviously a lot of firms are having to take very difficult decisions to survive and there are bound to be examples of downsizing. This is just one of these examples."
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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