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Manufacturing

Banknote printer De La Rue unveils plans for 'extensive' cost-cutting

The impact on the firm's 2,500-plus employees across its sites, which includes four based in the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ, has yet to be revealed

Inside De La Rue's Gateshead factory(Image: belben wells/ De La Rue)

A major overhaul at De La Rue will involve an "extensive" cost cutting exercise in a bid to turn around its fortunes, the banknote printer has revealed.

Recently appointed chief executive Clive Vacher said the group - which has bases in Gateshead, Basingstoke, Debden in Essex and Bathford in Somerset -will look to cut annual costs by around £35m over three years against previous targets for £20m.

It also wants to "improve efficiencies" across its manufacturing bases and to boost capabilities at the sites to allow it to be more flexible to adapt to market conditions.

The firm is targeting a return to margin growth within its currency division in 2020-21, helped by the cost savings and investment in polymer notes.

De La Rue is embarking on a cost-cutting exercise(Image: MDM)

It is now focusing on its two divisions - authentication and currency - having offloaded the international identity solutions business in October 2019.

The update on its turnaround plans come after it saw shares tank late last year following a warning it could collapse if recovery efforts fail.

It alerted in half-year results over a "material uncertainty that casts significant doubt on the group's ability to continue as a going concern".

But in its latest update, Mr Vacher said the group was "ready to execute on its plans", which will now go to its lenders - led by HSBC - for sign off.