IBM Corp duly set its Havant, Hampshire plant adrift yesterday, letting it go in a venture capital-backed management buyout on undisclosed terms. The plant will trade as Xyratex, or, according to one report, Xyratex, Xyratex, IBM UK, a unit of IBM Corp. IBM UK Ltd says the plant employs about 2,000 people – an figure given earlier of 1,000 sounds more likely, and will continue to manufacture disk drives and supply IBM, among others, and will also act as contract manufacturer for other companies – the only contract currently known about is the one under which it makes cartridge drives for Nomai SA across the Channel. Its turnover was recently reported to be UKP500m a year.
Content from our partners
