NEARLY 100 jobs are under threat at a Pontypool factory.

Terram Ltd, based at Mamhilad Industrial Estate, has entered into a 30 day consultation with its 98 staff over plans to close the plant and move operations to Essex.

The company, which manufactures geotextiles used to reinforce soil on construction sites and roads, says the business had made good progress in the past few years but the high cost of raw materials and energy was having a significant impact on the company’s profitability.

A statement from managing director Paul Glover and John Warner, president of parent company Fiberweb Geosynthetics, said the firm had recently taken over thermoplastics company Boddington’s Ltd, and plans to merge its manufacture and support services at one site in Maldon, Essex.

As a result, the company which celebrated 40 years trading in Pontypool last year, says there is likely to be a significant number of redundancies at the Pontypool site.

Employee representatives are currently in talks with management to consider alternative employment at the Essex site, but the company could not confirm how many staff could be relocated.

Talks are also taking place with staff and local agencies to help those people who need to look for alternative employment in the Pontypool area.

One worker said: “A lot of people can’t relocate because of young families. It’s not somewhere you can commute to.

“There is a loyal workforce, a lot of people have been here 25 to 30 years - some even longer.

“It employed people from all over the valleys. When the pits started to shut they came to us but when this is gone that is it for south east Gwent.”