Carpet firm moves jobs to Poland

A long-established Cumbrian carpet company is switching much of its production to Poland, resulting in about 50 job losses.

Kendal-based Goodacres says the move is needed to reduce costs.

The company, which employs about 150 people, says it will continue to produce carpets made from Lake District Herdwick wool in Kendal.

But bosses say that with wage costs in Poland one fifth what they are in the UK, they have been forced to act.

Cost base

Chief executive Mike Cornish, said manufacturing costs on some of the company's lines had to be brought down.

He said: "The economics of this business are that we just have to lower our manufacturing cost base.

"It is a very competitive market and a number of our major competitors have gone in the past six months.

"We don't intend to be another one and that means acting now to get our costs down."