BOSSES at an aluminium castings firm in Stourbridge have announced they are trying to find ways to safe guard jobs at the company.

Caparo Aluminium Technologies, based at Sunrise Business Park, Wollaston, are currently in a consultation process to miminise job losses.

The firm which employees 140 people at the site, have been hit hard by the current economic climate, as a lot of the work produced is specialised parts for sports cars and motor bikes.

Chief executive from Caparo Engineering Limited, John Wood said: “The firm announced on Thursday September 11, we were entering into a consultation process with employees about the possibility of up to 82 job losses.

“These job losses would be mainly in manufacturing and the admin staff.

“Caparo is currently trying to find new business and we are working hard to encourage our customers to do more with us.”

Caparo had bought Zeus Aluminium in 2006, when they went into receivership and were in difficulty and at the time safe guarded jobs.

Mr Wood added:“ We are trying in a number of ways to get people do business with us.

“It is very sad no-one wants to cut jobs but in the current climate unfortunately companies are being forced into taking action which is what we don’t want to do.

“Caparo is trying to safe guard a lot of jobs at this stage and we are currently in the consultation process and are not making job losses at the moment.”

Meanwhile, the credit crunch may be about to bite in Kingswinford after energy company E.ON announced job cuts.

The giant company however says reports up to 200 jobs will go at their High Street site are premature.

E.ON is aiming to shed 400 jobs from their 17,000-strong workforce throughout the UK through voluntary redundancies, although a spokesman for the firm could not rule out compulsory cuts.

Andrew Barrow, from E.ON, said: “We are talking to staff, it is a process of consultation and the first people to know will be our colleagues.

“We can’t rule anything out, it is early days.”