ANOTHER Beaminster business is packing up and heading north with the sale and closure of Ken Caldwell's Wellhose company.

Mr Caldwell, 69, has been operating his business on the Horn Hill Broadwindsor Road industrial estate for the past six years and before that in Bridport for the past 15 years.

He says the move is the result a combination of old age and a changing industry. Wellhose specialises in the design and development of modern technical fabrics, components and assemblies for medical, defence, and outdoor clothing markets. The makes technical fabrics for aerospace, medical, and outdoor applications. Its products include stealth fabrics for the aerospace industry, Wellotex fabrics for outdoor applications, and pressure care cushions and mattresses for medical use.

In 2002 Mr Caldwell was starting to market an adaptation of an intensive care bed for domestic use but with the start of negotiations for sale of the company that was put on hold. Mr Caldwell said quite a few of the staff had retired recently and not been replaced but the remaining seven would be losing their jobs.

"The whole factory is packing up and moving to Halifax. It was sold 12 months ago to Sidhil and their people have been here for the last nine months learning the processes.

"It's just a sad moment for us. I have had to realise I am getting on and will be retiring shortly, hopefully. It is just one of those things. The medical industry has changed dramatically. No longer can I go into a hospital and sell them a hospital bed. You have to contract for the whole of the area. You've got to have a massive infrastructure of people to be on call the whole time in that area. It makes it more difficult for a small company to stand on their own feet.

"I had to look at ways of doing it and eventually joined forces with Sidhil and sold out to them. They have the muscle and manpower to do it and compete with the big boys and we haven't. By the end of September it will all be gone here."

Mr Caldwell still has nine months of a consultancy with Sidhil to run.

"Then I will be finished entirely," he said.