Drinks supplier LWC takes on 30 Waverley TBS staff

The drinks supplier ceased trading with the loss of 685 jobs when administrator Deloitte failed to find a buyer for the business.

Ebrahim Mukadam, managing director of LWC, said that the company has taken on sales, telesales, drivers and warehouse staff, with plans to take on more if business trades well with the new recruits.

Mukadam said: “We hope that it will help the business expand. The staff started last week. We would take on more if things go well. It’s scary how many people have been made redundant, and if we can help them we will.

“It’s a shame that Waverley has gone into administration, it’s good to have some business competition but that’s how life is. Every business is finding it difficult. Hopefully the expertise of the new staff will help us.”

Steve Graham, chief executive of the National Drink Distributors, a group of 24 wholesalers, said that some members have taken on up to four sales staff and four drivers. Graham believes that this number will increase as he has heard anecdotally that members are in discussions with ex-Waverley employees.

He said: “This is very, very positive because we feel sorry for the people that have been let go, as we knew quite a lot of them. Waverley had been shedding people for the past few months, with some leaving voluntarily, so members have picked up people along the way.

“Our business has been growing steadily so there is a need for more staff.”