AROUND 150 employees of a Christchurch-based business could be made redundant, it has been revealed.

Yet despite being 50 miles from Yeovil, the announcement could hit South Somerset District Council’s pockets.

That is because the firm in question, Kondor, is one of the tenants for SSDC’s expanding commercial portfolio.

Last year, SSDC forked out £7million to buy the unit, which was let at a rent of £531,299 per year at the time.

Now, the company’s position at the SSDC-owned headquarters looks fragile.

Kondor made the announcement in group consultations with staff last week, on January 20.

A Kondor employee, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Daily Echo that they understand jobs in the sales team, warehouse and finance department could face the axe, with the process set to progress in the coming days.

They said: “There were a lot of tears. Kondor was bought out two years ago. The premise of that acquisition was to improve Kondor.”

Kondor, which is a marketing and distribution partner for Samsung, was subject to a buyout by firm Exertis in 2018.

The staff member said they had been told a selection of job roles will be kept or relocated within other parts of the Exertis group.

A spokeswoman for Exertis said: “We have announced some proposed changes to our business at Kondor.

“As a result, some employees are at risk of redundancy and we are entering into a period of collective and individual consultation.

“No final decisions have been made and we will use the consultation period to discuss viable alternatives to potential redundancies.

“We will work closely with the employee representatives to find alternative options and we are giving all employees as much information and support as possible during this difficult time.”

Paul Hilliard is the local councillor for the business, in the ward of Mudeford, Stanpit and West Highcliffe.

He said: “Kondor is one of the biggest employers in the Mudeford area.

“I am extremely sorry to hear this news. It is a challenging time for businesses.

“Hopefully there can be some positive outcomes from the review process.”

Kondor’s website says the firm is a ‘market maker’, connecting more than 100 brands to more than 250 companies.

Its clients include Tesco, O2, Amazon, John Lewis, and Argos.

The purchase of the Christchurch site was part of £75million in commercial investments made by SSDC.

In a bid to further cover the cost of frontline services, councillors agreed to double that budget late last year.

SSDC did not wish to comment.