by Emma Grove

Up to 60 jobs are to be cut at one of the Isle of Sheppey's biggest employers.

HBC Engineering Solutions, which is based in Power Station Road, Halfway, will be losing between 50 and 60 employees from its 108 workforce within the next three months.

HBC specialises in plastic injection moulding and metal components.

The company has been experiencing severe trading difficulties during the past few months due to a reduction in business with ones of its biggest customers, Weidmuller.

Weidmuller, which is a leading manufacturer of components for electrical technology, has decided to transfer the products it uses from HBC Engineering to a German factory.

Although the company is confident it will survive, it can only succeed by restructuring the business and reducing the number of employees.

A spokesman for the company said: “Although HBC will be much smaller in the future, we are convinced that the company will survive due to our recent success in attracting an investor willing to work with us to restructure the business.

“By introducing new business in the months ahead the investor will help us grow again.

“Our relationship with our customer base in the UK remains very strong. This part of our business has proved to be more stable and we expect it to grow naturally over time.”

More on this story as it develops.