Over 230 jobs lost as newsprint paper manufacturers goes under administration

Around 233 members of staff were made redundant as Kent-based newsprint paper manufacturer Aylesford Newsprint was forced into administration, a recent news report in the local business media has been able to reveal.

The company, based in New Hythe Business Park, produced on average 400,000 tonned of recycled newsprint every year from 500,000 tonnes of recycled waste fibre.

The business, which employed nearly 300 staff and recorded a turnover of £139m in 2013, supplied its newsprint to some of the main newspaper groups.

Upon appointment of the administrators, the production facility was closed and 233 employees were made redundant. The remaining 65 staff have been retained to assist the administrators in the sale of the assets and the decommissioning of the plant.

Allan Graham at KPMG said: "Significant overcapacity in the newsprint market, coupled with rise of digital media, has created challenging operating conditions for Aylesford Newsprint. The business has been loss-making for a number of years and was unable to be maintained as a going concern.

"We are on site and will be working closely with the Redundancy Payments Office to support the staff impacted by the administration."

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