Lister to move

[keble]

Lister Petter are going to move to Hardwicke (just south of Gloucester).

BBC news story

[Athy]

That's very sad: Lister and Dursley have been inextricably linked for over a century. From the story it looks as if the workers wanted to stay but the bosses ignored their views.

But why the move? A spokesman suggests that the present site is in some way inadequate - are they moving due to expansion?

[Derek R.]

The report states the new site is custom made, has better transport links being close to a motorway, and that the old site has considerable rebuilding needed. It's eleven miles away, the distance my wife travels to work. No one likes change, especially me, but there are times when it becomes necessary through economics.

[MoominPapa]

Hmm, moving onto a rented site on a business park. The original site will no doubt be sold for housing, leaving to a huge one-off paper profit and big bonuses for the top management.

 

Cynical? Moi?

 

 

MP.

[Athy]

Hmm, moving onto a rented site on a business park. The original site will no doubt be sold for housing, leaving to a huge one-off paper profit and big bonuses for the top management.

 

Cynical? Moi?

 

 

MP.

Unless I misunderstood the article, not exactly: I inferred that Lister owned the business park to which they will be moving.

"Business park"? Does no one build industrial estates any more?

[MoominPapa]

Unless I misunderstood the article, not exactly: I inferred that Lister owned the business park to which they will be moving.

"Business park"? Does no one build industrial estates any more?

 

Developer St Modwen has now submitted a planning application for the firm to relocate to Quedgeley West Business Park in Hardwicke which it owns.

 

MP.

[tafelberg]

I thought this would be a post about someone needing to move a lister engine.

[Derek R.]

Well it is only conjecture, but MP has a point. I dare say there is some financial benefits afoot for both Lister directors and the business park owners. If the original site was owned by Lister, then a rebuilding program would indeed have been expensive. The option might have been to sell off the site and move into rented property. The liabilities for upkeep may be less, but it does question the morals and scruples of the company, as once moved into rented there is less incentive to continue making improvements, and a little more at some time in the future - to drop the baby and run. 'Lister' vanishes into the history books (or Brazil/India/China), property developers win out with whatever is built and sold/rented off on the old site, and St Modwen just collect rent from the next tenant.

 

Perhaps the Lister book is reaching its last few pages.

[Athy]

But, as confirmed above, Lister owns the industrial estate to which it is moving.

 

I can't see them closing down, as business is obviously good: they do not even need to advertise their engines in the waterways press. I believe that they are strong in the sea-going and industrial engine sectors too.

[MoominPapa]

But, as confirmed above, Lister owns the industrial estate to which it is moving.

Ah, the perils of language.

 

Developer St Modwen has now submitted a planning application for the firm to relocate to Quedgeley West Business Park in Hardwicke which it owns.

In the above does "it" refer to St Mowden or "the firm"? Either are possible, but if the estate is owned by Listers why are St Mowden involved at all?

 

MP.

Edited February 6, 2013 by MoominPapa

[David Mack]

But, as confirmed above, Lister owns the industrial estate to which it is moving.

 

I'm not so sure. It depends whether the "it" in "Developer St Modwen has now submitted a planning application for the firm to relocate to Quedgeley West Business Park in Hardwicke which it owns." refers to St Modwen or Lister. But my reading is that it refers to St Modwen.

 

I would have thought it quite likely that there is a deal whereby St Modwen get the existing Lister owned site for redevelopment, and Lister get a pile of cash and a rented space on the St Modwen-owned business park.

[Athy]

Gotcha. The original report is sloppily written and ambiguous.

I hope that the existing (and in parts very old) Lister factory will be fully photographed and documented before it is pulled down. I wonder if interesting things, such as original engineering drawings or even a cache of mint and crated vintage engines, will be discovered during demolition.

[nebulae]

I understood that Lister/Petter were sold some years ago by Hawker Siddley Aviation, to a developer.The intention was always to develop the sites.The manufacture of engines has effectively been a sideline since the sale.The present workforce is a fraction of the size of the old company.

[richardf]

The company that I work for bought a few factory units on the old lister site - that has now become Littlecombe Business Park. We bought them on a long lease from St Modwen - so it might be a lease purchase at Hardwicke rather than just a rental

[Derek R.]

Following the links within the BBC report tell of mixed feelings over the move. Mixed from the management side only though, the workers wanted to stay put.

 

St Modwen; a 'Regeneration Specialist'

[waterworks]

i don't think Lister actually manufacture much of their engines in house, certainly no castings. I am surprized they are still making a profit making stuff in the UK. No one else is ?

[Graham Davis]

The factory buildings in Dursley were in a poor state and needed lots of continuous repairs back in the 70's and 80's when I lived in the area and had friends that worked there, so what they are like now I shudder to think.