Production difficulties reported by Duple
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• In the interim report to shareholders in respect of the year ending June 30, 1969, the directors of Duple Motor Bodies have stated that the cessation of coach production at Hendon and its transfer to the Blackpool factory is nearing completion. Greater difficulties than were originally anticipated have been and are still being experienced in attracting sufficient qualified labour in Blackpool, and this has resulted in considerable delays in completion of this year's building programme. The Group sales for the year are consequently expected to be approximately 18 per cent below those of 1967 /68.
The year's trading operations are expected to result in a loss of approximately £220,000, and, in addition, compensation to redundant staff and workpeople, together with rerrroval expenses, are estimated to require a further £80,000, which is to be provided for out of revenue reserves.
Extensions at the Vicarage Lane Works, Blackpool, now known as Duple Coachbuilders Ltd., of approximately 48,000 sq. ft. are nearly completed and a further 72,000 sq. ft. and 24 acres of land have been acquired adjoining the existing works and will be brought into use before the end of 1969. Thus production at Blackpool in 1969/70 will commence with the benefits of considerably higher capacity and work in progress than a year ago, but at the present rate of labour intake at least a further year will be required to reach the full planned level of production.
On May 19, 1969 the directors declared an interim dividend of 3 per cent subject to income tax, and they at present expect to recommend the payment of a final dividend of similar amount in December.
The following changes have now been arranged in the boards of directors of the Group companies:
Mr. J. R. Chisnall has relinquished his appointment as managing director of Duple Coachbuilders Ltd. in order to concentrate his activities entirely as the managing director of the group's plastics company, Bifort Engineering Ltd., the operations of whicliare continuing to increase.
Mr. J. G. Le Rougetel, general production director at the Hendon factory, has been appointed managing director of Duple CoachbuiIders Ltd, Mr. H. W. Sydenham, chairman of the Group, will retire on June 30 to make way for a younger man, and the Board has appointed Mr. J. 0. R. Darby, 39, the present deputy chairman, who is a partner in the firm of Arthur Young McClelland Moores and Co., Chartered Accountants, to be the chairman of the Group from that date.
• Chief executive of the National Bus Company and chairman of the Public Transport Association, Mr. T. W. H. Gailey, will preside at the Association's annual conference which opens at Brighton on June 3. On June 4 Mr. C. R. Warman, city engineer and surveyor and town planning officer, Sheffield, will read the first paper "Planning for public transport". The second paper will be read on June 5 by Prof. J. Kolbuszewski, head of the Department of Transportation and Environmental Planning, University of Birmingham. His theme will be "The future of transportation".