DutchNews.nl - Ceramics maker Sphinx leaves Maastricht

Ceramics maker Sphinx leaves Maastricht

Wednesday 15 July 2009

Ceramics maker Sphinx is to stop production in Maastricht, ending its 175-year association with the southern city.

Sphinx is now owned by Finland-based Sanitec which is moving the making of baths and sinks to Sweden, the Telegraaf reports.

City council executive Jean Jacobs told the paper the move was very disappointing, not least because the council recently invested €45m in helping modernise the Maastricht operations.

Union official Henk van Rees said the investment had been a complete waste of money. The union expects 114 of the 200 Sphinx workers to lose their jobs.

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Readers' comments

Am i missing something... Why would a local government spend 45m a) to protect 200 jobs, and b) without any guarantee that the employment would be guaranteed for x amount of time, so as to justify the investment? More evidence of civil servant incompetency and inexperience. Get proven business leaders to run government.

By hlm | July 15, 2009 8:32 AM

The Dutch government should take all the money in their coffers, take it up in a plane and scatter it freely across the land. Maybe then it will be put to good use and handled competently (it couldn't be worse)

By AW | July 15, 2009 10:22 AM

So, the Finns walk away with 45m? Get your money back! Something fishy if you don't.

By Joe | July 15, 2009 11:37 AM

It's indeed morally a rip-off!!! this hard-working taxpayers' money should be claimed back.

By KB | July 16, 2009 9:08 AM

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