By Martin Vedris
SYDNEY: In response to global news on job losses at Dyson, Ross Cameron, Managing Director at Dyson SEA confirmed that Dyson was “rationalising processes in order to better control, and focus on core projects”.
A story on the Gazette and Herald website, owned by the UK based Newsquest Media Group, stated on 10 October that staff in the research and development department at the Dyson factory in Malmesbury were told that up to 64 employees could lose their jobs.
In response, Cameron said that the global changes do not impact the Australian and New Zealand markets, and that Dyson Australia continues to experience strong market growth.
“Dyson as a company has experienced rapid growth, and in doing so, has expanded peripheral procedures including testing and evaluation across a number of countries,” said Cameron.
“As part of normal business procedure the operations are regularly reviewed and it has become evident that duplication is occurring.
“This doesn’t make economic sense at all; and particularly in the current global economic climate. We are consolidating these procedures to our manufacturing base in Malaysia. Regrettably, this does mean the loss of roles internationally, and the possible knock-on effect of support roles in the UK. However, Malmesbury continues to be our global headquarters and invention base where we employee 1,200 people and RDD continues to be our absolute focus in developing new, innovative products.”
Although Dyson is Australia’s leading vacuum brand in terms of sales value, Cameron is still on a mission. In the floorcare feature in the October issue of Appliance Retailer magazine, he said that the company will not rest until it has “a Dyson in every home in Australia”.