J&J Medical Device arm to close Ethicon manufacturing site in Livingston, Scotland
The Kirkton site has been employed by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon for surgical sutures manufacture
As part of its global restructuring effort announced in January 2016, Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices (JJMD) has indicated it plans to close the Ethicon ‘Kirkton’ manufacturing site in Livingston, Scotland.
In a press statement the company said it has initiated a consultation process with the regional and local works councils. This could potentially impact approximately 400 employees, pending the outcome of the consultation process.
The company said: "We have put forth these proposals in the interest of reducing complexity and increasing agility to better serve the needs of customers and patients in today’s evolving healthcare marketplace."
The global restructuring is designed to strengthen JJMD’s go-to-market model, accelerate its pace of innovation, further prioritise key platforms and geographies, and streamline operations while maintaining high quality standards and customer service. The company’s Consumer Medical Devices businesses, Vision Care and Diabetes Care, are not impacted by these proposed actions.
JJMD's overall global restructuring plan included a proposal to reduce the Medical Devices segment’s global workforce by 4 to 6% throughout 2016 and 2017, subject to any consultation procedures where required. The company is working in close cooperation with regional and local works councils and unions regarding the proposed actions.