PRH Rugby closure creates 100 new jobs in Frating

One hundred new jobs are to be created in Frating in Essex next year as Penguin Random House consolidates its distribution. 

The new jobs, 50 of which are permanent roles and 50 of which are fixed-term contract (FTC), will work across PRH's distribution, customer services, credit services and technology teams as PRH moves from having three warehouses to two, a process that will not be complete until 2019.

Two hundred and fifty-three jobs were put at risk when PRH made the "difficult" decision to close its distribution centre in Rugby at the end of 2015. However, redundancies will happen in phases and not before May 2017, PRH has said. No further information has been released.

The Book Service (TBS) in Frating will take over the distribution of Penguin and DK titles in 2017/18, and Grantham Book Service (GBS) in Grantham is taking over TBS' third party clients.

"Minor building work" at the Frating centre is planned to accomodate the extra staff and PRH has submitted a planning application to Tendring Council to extend the car park by 40 more spaces to "ensure that they have a robust facility", PRH told the Harwich and Manningtree Gazette. 

“The Book Service in Frating is key to ensuring that the millions of best sellers published in the UK each year by Penguin Random House are delivered to readers across the county and this expansion will ensure that we continue to meet the demand of our customers and readers,” according to a PRH spokesperson.