Laid off workers of multi-national engineering and technology company Metso are eyeing Tauranga as a potential employment post as its Matamata hub closes.

Metso New Zealand announced in August it is permanently closing its Matamata operations branch next month with close to 30 people losing their jobs as a result.

Metso staff at the Matamata operations hub. Photo: Metso.

It is now confirmed 27 permanent employees will be made redundant and a further 11 fixed-term employees will not have their contracts renewed.

The closure is a result of the global recession's impact on the construction industry, with the Finland-owned company deciding to move operations to India.

Tauranga's Priority One project manager Annie Hill has been informed by Metso NZ it will be closing its main operations on December 20 and is seeking help to accommodate new employment for staff.

And many of the staff are showing an interest in finding work in the Tauranga and Mount Maunganui areas.

Metso is actively helping its employees find alternative work and has compiled a brochure with staff profiles, which it has sent to various employment agencies and organisations.

Annie says although the redundancies are unfortunate, it is fantastic to see the high level of interest shown in the Tauranga and Mount Maunganui areas, highlighting the Bay of Plenty's blossoming economic potential.

'I think there are definitely the opportunities available, but I also think it's the opportunity and ability to raise the profile of the Tauranga area.

'It's great to see the company doing something like that to help them find new jobs.”

The workers professional skills are based in engineering, manufacturing and operations, and corporate service administration varying between three and 25 years' experience with the company.

To further prepare the team as they look for new job opportunities, Metso Matamata general manager Keith Cooke has organised CV preparation and interview training for each staff member once a week.

He believes Tauranga and the wider Western Bay are very attractive locations for his staff.

'I think obviously the locality to Matamata is a big feature, but also to most people the Bay is seen as a desirable location mostly because of the improvement in the weather,” says Keith.

'It is clearly a growing and going ahead area with businesses and money going into the area.”

Staff numbers at Metso Matamata dropped from 133 in 2008 to just 31 by December 2012 following the global recession and the company's external review of operations. Matamata currently acts as a technical centre before the company moves its work closer to its headquarters in Finland.

Metso is a global engineering and technology company with employees in about 50 countries. Its Matamata branch specialises in vertical shaft impact crushing equipment and related services for both mining and construction.