F Brown to shut haulage arm
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F BROWN (CARLISLE) is planning to close its haulage business on 30 April, but has not ruled out a takeover, which could rescue some jobs.
The Cardewlees, Cumbria-based familyrun haulier has blamed high diesel costs and a lack of work for the closure, which will lead to 35 drivers being made redundant.
Linda Wilson, director of F Brown, and daughter of the company's sole owner, 67-year-old Mary Brown, tells CM: 'There has been little help for the road haulage sector, and our haulage business was only really breaking even.
"There is too much bureaucratic red tape, such as the Driver CPC, which is another unwelcome cost. Just when you jump through one hoop, you find yet more costs and hurdles to go through, so we could not see a future," she adds.
However, she says since the planned closure was announced, the company has been contacted by a number of individuals expressing an interest in taking over the business.
"We have set 1 May as the date to sell our assets. However, we are also in negotiations about a possible takeover, so, if this does happen, we will notify affected staff," explains Wilson.
F Brown's warehousing business remains unaffected.