Ripples rather than tsunamis

Glass Times editor Nathan Bushell reflects on a tough couple of months at Veka.

The job losses at Veka are going to create mixed feelings. However, I can’t help feeling a sense of relief.

Veka went through the wringer quite publicly earlier this year as key customers collapsed leaving it severely exposed. It was never on my list of vulnerable businesses, being seen instead as arguably the largest systems company in the UK.

If anything, it was more of a bellwether – you would look to Veka for emerging trends and market fluctuations.

So, for 25 jobs to be lost, instead of an expected 78, is good news; for such an established business to be so ruthlessly affected by events outside of its control could have sent real shockwaves through the industry (as if there haven’t been enough of those already this year).

In fact, in its bellwether role, Veka has said the unexpected rapid market bounceback, which led to a sudden manufacturing demand, negated the need to commence with the second phase of redundancies.

Thankfully, the conversations we are having in Glass Times are slowly moving away from Covid-19 and towards the typical discussions you would expect in a trade publication, such as new products and services. It’s reassuring that when it does crop up it is to do with business opportunities rather than obstacles.