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GERMAN PERSONAL-CARE products company Braun has announced the end of manufacturing in Carlow with the loss of 160 jobs. However, there was some relief yesterday when the company said that 100 employees out of the current workforce of 260 will be transferred to its Newbridge plant in Co Kildare.

Braun, which is best-known for its electric shavers, was one of the first major foreign investors in Ireland and established the plant in Carlow in 1974. At one point the factory employed 1,500 people, making it one of the biggest employers in the southeast. Employee levels have been dropping in recent years and the closure of the factory was expected after the company announced a review of its Irish operations last year. The company said that “due to a decrease in consumer demand” it had decided to “phase out” the manufacturing of “the Braun gas-powered cordless haircare business” (curling tongs) this month. It will now concentrate all of its Irish manufacturing in Newbridge and transfer 100 jobs there by next summer. A redundancy programme for the remaining 160 workers in Carlow will be introduced soon.