130 jobs are to go at a Coventry factory after bosses decided to merge the operation with another plant in Chesterfield.

Workers at Nova Fabrications in Torrington Avenue, were formally told yesterday that they either faced a move or redundancy.

The factory, which manufactures Off-Highway parts for vehicles like JCB diggers, made sales of £10.9 million in the 12 months leading up to 31 March 2000. It has £3 million of assets, including the property in Tile Hill, which will be sold off.

A consultation period is now under way, with the merger expected to take place in January.

Company owners Eliza Tinsley decided to bring the Tile Hill factory, which it has owned for two years, together with Kitchin Engineering in Chesterfield as part of a business re-organisation.

Group finance director Ian Cole said there would be fewer jobs available in Chesterfield than were being lost in Coventry, and conceded that some people would not want to move north.

He said:

“The work is being transferred to Chesterfield and we will be looking to transfer some people up there.”

A statement issued by the directors of Eliza Tinsley said that the merger would cost £1.75 million, but hey expected to recoup this money within two years.

The statement said:

“This would create a single operation where investment already made and planned can be concentrated to provide additional capacity and resources to meet customers’ on-going and future requirements.

“The re-organisation is expected to have considerable on-going benefits to the group and its customers.”