CONCERNS were raised this week over the future of jobs at one of Wellington’s largest employers after Pritex Ltd was sold to a company owned by an India-based group.

Indica Industries UK Ltd acquired Pritex, which employs about 200 people, on Friday (September 6), with staff told the news on Monday.

Pritex was sold for an undisclosed sum by Leicestershire-based Saint-Gobain High Performance Solutions UK Ltd, which in turn bought the Wellington firm in 2019 when it was caught in the fall-out from a pensions scandal at its South Africa parent Steinhoff International.

It supplies acoustic and thermal insulation products and services to manufacturers worldwide across a variety of manufacturing sectors.

Indica Industries, headquartered in Northampton, is part of the Indica Group, a £57 million family-owned business operating out of India, America, continental Europe, and the UK.

It is a leading manufacturer of technical products specialising in noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) and insulation management for industry specific applications.

But the company has only 10 employees and a man who answered the telephone refused to speak to the Wellington Weekly about the purchase of Pritex.

He said: “It is a private company. We cannot say anything.”

However, a Saint-Gobain spokesperson told the Wellington Weekly: “The acquisition of Pritex will provide both companies the opportunity for complimentary growth and development, as both operate in the same markets with similar products with the addition of their own unique knowledge and processes.

“Since its acquisition by Saint-Gobain in 2019, Pritex has faced multiple challenges such as Brexit, Covid-19, global supply disruptions, and significant inflation resulting from the Ukraine war.

“All through which, Saint-Gobain has provided the business stability.

“But consequently, these events meant that Saint-Gobain’s initial intentions to partner Pritex with other Saint-Gobain entities to develop technical and commercial synergies and manufacturing capabilities in continental Europe to accelerate the growth in this region, could not be materialised as planned.

“Pritex see the acquisition as an incredible opportunity, and we look forward to the years ahead.”

Indica states on its website: “We are committed to providing high-quality, cost effective, and environment-friendly services with an emphasis on customer satisfaction.”