MACHINERY has been removed from a historic Kidderminster carpet company signalling the end of more than 100 years’ manufacturing by the firm in the town.

Equipment is being taken out of Victoria Carpets’ Worcester Road factory as the restructure of the business, which will result in the loss of dozens of jobs in Kidderminster, is carried out.

Some of the machinery will be sent to the firm’s other UK sites while any surplus stock will be sold.

A worker, who did not wish to be named, said: “This is a sad day at the ‘Vic’. Machines are being taken away and that’s 100 plus years of manufacturing finished.”

In June, the Shuttle revealed how Victoria Carpets was halting manufacturing at its Kidderminster site, which will become a distribution, warehouse and showroom centre – putting 66 jobs at risk.

The company said that rapid growth and continued significant demand for their products were the driving factors behind the reorganisation of its UK manufacturing and logistics operations.

Changes being implemented will see manufacturing functions at Kidderminster transferred to two other sites while its Midlands distribution services will all move to Kidderminster.

A southern distribution centre will open near London by late 2018 while there are plans for another similar facility up north.

The company was set up in Kidderminster in 1895 and had manufactured carpets in the town since.

A spokesman for Victoria Carpets said: “The manufacturing site at Kidderminster is being repurposed into new warehousing and showroom functions.

“As part of this process all manufacturing equipment is being removed from the site, with a proportion being relocated to other manufacturing sites. Any surplus equipment is being sold to independent carpet manufactures in the UK.”

Individual consultations for members of staff are still ongoing.

The spokesman added: “The company has offered support to all those employees effected, in the form of access to group vacancies, additional trade union advice, plus time and resources in seeking alternative employment.

“Longer-term job creation is anticipated around the group as it seeks to strengthen its logistics by establishing new regional distribution centres by late 2018.”