LONDON—Fenner Dunlop, part of Michelin, is restructuring its conveyor belting business in the United Kingdom in order to reduce exposure to Russia.
In a recent letter to U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, local MP Karl Turner confirmed the closure of the Fenner Dunlop Engineering Conveyor Solutions plant in Marfleet, East Hull.
A "significant proportion" of output from the 70-employee, mining conveyor belts plant went to Russia before the Ukraine war, Turner said.
"Despite determined attempts to diversify, attempts to find alternatives to closure through an employee consultation have failed," he added.
Activity in Marfleet will, therefore, be wound down immediately with full closure in 2023, he said.
In its full year financial report published Feb. 13, Michelin noted a $13.7 million "provision for the restructuring of Fenner's conveyor belt business in the U.K."
Michelin did not specify any particular facility involved, but it said the Fenner unit was "heavily exposed to the Russian market."