Britax Römer to halt distribution from Andover site

Britax Römer has announced manufacturing operations at its Andover, Hampshire site will cease by year end.

Specialising in strollers and child safety seats, Britax was founded in 1938. The firm made safety equipment and accessories for automobiles, before diversifying in the late 1960s. The site on Churchill Way West was previously the firm's UK HQ.

As recently as 2007, the Andover site was forced to make 35 workers redundant in a cutback. It’s not yet known how many employees will be affected by this latest development. 

A spokesperson for the company announced that by the end of 2022 operations will halt at the site due to: “The current economic climate, the competitive nature of our industry, and the need to constantly evolve how Britax Römer operates has never been more challenging. 

“We have been faced with a regulation change from R44 to R129 affecting 100 per cent of our car seat range manufactured in Andover within a very short timeframe, a global pandemic, supply interruptions and other difficulties.

"As a result and with much regret, Britax Römer will no longer manufacture in the UK, nor directly distribute its products from Andover as of the end of 2022.

"This is in no way a reflection of the efforts of our employees or everyone’s hard work and commitment to Britax Römer. To the contrary, we have considerable pride in how our team has been able to manage through this challenging time in such a highly competitive market.

"We remain fully committed to the UK market and believe that the new setup will make us more competitive, securing the long-term future of Britax Römer in the UK and Europe. Our sales, marketing, finance, customer service, consumer service and other administrative functions will remain in the Andover area and will be dedicated to the future of our company here in the UK.”

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