More jobs to go at Patton Group

It is believed that 50 jobs will have been lost when the firm completes its latest down-sizing operation.

The Ballymena building firm, for years one of the most consistent high level ‘players’ in the construction industry, has an estimated turnover of about £160m and until recently employed around 420 staff.

Its most recent set of accounts show it reported an annual pre-tax loss of more than £10m.

The company said a number of candidates for voluntary redundancy had come forward, thereby reducing the numbers likely to be affected by compulsory redundancy.

A spokesperson said it was announced at the beginning of January that a number of roles were at risk of redundancy.

He added: “As a business we are striving to be as efficient and competitive as possible and we need to be leaner throughout our operation to allow us to compete successfully in each of our core operating sectors.

“This unfortunate process reflects the prolonged downturn in the construction sector and is driven by the demands of the current fiercely competitive market place.

“We are totally committed to our business strategy and we are aggressively pursuing new business opportunities throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe.”

As well as its Ballymena headquarters, the company has offices in Dublin and London and has redeployed some of its sales effort and staff to multiple projects throughout Britain and further afield.

Patton, which celebrates its centenary this year, has reduced its workforce considerably in the past two to three years. At one time, the firm was one of the main employers of skilled tradesmen and labourers in the Co. Antrim area.