ONE of Poole’s longest-established employers is preparing to lay off staff for the second time in months.

John Zink Hamworthy Combustion, at Fleets Corner, blamed “continued unfavourable market conditions” for the cuts, which are thought to affect around 50 jobs.

The American-owned business was once part of the Hamworthy Engineering group, which was one of the town’s biggest employers for generations.

It makes emissions control and clean air combustion and vapour control systems.

The company said it was entering a consultation process with staff representatives to consider a “possible further headcount reduction”.

It added: “This proposal follows the most recent reductions in the UK business.”

A statement went on: “Continued unfavourable market conditions – primarily the low price of oil – have led to substantial reductions of capital investments in the oil industry.

“This has directly affected John Zink Hamworthy Combustion’s Power & Marine business in Poole.

“In an effort to explore ways to avoid and/or reduce the need for possible compulsory redundancies, the company will in the first instance consider voluntary redundancies.”

Tony Saia, president of John Zink Hamworthy Combustion, said: “In light of the recent reductions, the decision to put forward this new proposal was extremely difficult.

“This message is certainly not something the business enjoys giving.

“We fully appreciate that this will be an unsettling time for everyone.”

The company said it would not comment further until the consultation process was complete.

One source said the redundancies followed 50 job cuts which took effect before Christmas 2016.

“At the start of 2016, there were around 150 people employed by JZHC in Poole. A third of these were made redundant in November,” he said.

“Now a half of those who thought they had escaped the worst, encouraged by company lines on pushing forward and rebuilding, found out that they will need to find somewhere else to work.”

Hamworthy Engineering was incorporated by Percy and Sidney Hall in 1914 and made products including engines, pumps, compressors, hydraulics and transmissions.

By the end of the 1980s, it had a staff of 3,000 across the world, but the business was later split into several parts under different ownerships.

John Zink Hamworthy Combustion describes itself as “the global authority on emissions control and clean-air combustion systems”.

Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, it is part of a global corporation, Koch Industries.