JOBS for the highly skilled in Dunedin could again be at risk of disappearing as Chinese company Haier contemplates a takeover of Fisher and Paykel Appliances (FPA) which has designers, call centre and support staff in the city.
The company had hoped to increase its Dunedin workforce to about 180 by the middle of last year. Current figures were not available yesterday on how many staff work in the Wall Street mall premises.
Otago Chamber of Commerce president Peter McIntyre said it was important to emphasise there had been no formal offer from Haier, a 20% shareholder in FPA, but he was concerned about the future of the highly-skilled design team and the other staff.
"They will be hard to replicate anywhere else in the world. If there is a takeover, I hope Haier realises these staff work and live in Dunedin and that's where they want to stay. You couldn't uplift this team and put them in Beijing and hope they can replicate what they do here."
With the threat of the closure of Hillside Workshops, if it is not sold, the city could ill afford the loss of any more skilled jobs if other jobs were not being created, Mr McIntyre said.
Dunedin North MP David Clark agreed. The design centre was a cost-effective resource for FPA, he said.
"It is a highly-skilled workforce and ... it is cheaper to have that resource here than overseas. It may be in the interests for the company to retain the design centre here."
Dr Clark was concerned about the approach from Haier but hopeful local jobs would be retained.
FPA closed its North Taieri manufacturing plant in 2008, resulting in 430 people being made redundant as the production of its whiteware appliances range, including dishdrawers made in Mosgiel, shifted to Thailand and Mexico.
Dr Clark said the issue came back to how well the Government was supporting manufacturing in New Zealand.
"Manufacturing is being hollowed out," he said.
Jobs needed to be continually and proactively created, he said.
