SKF Luton plant closes and machinery is put up for auction
7 November 2024 
SKF has closed its roller bearing manufacturing plant in Luton, UK, with loss of around 300 jobs, after more than a century of production at the site. The closure was announced last year with SKF saying that it was part of a change in strategic direction to ensure long-term competitiveness in the European market, and that there was “no viable alternative”.
The Luton plant was opened in 1911 under a different name and was the company’s first site outside Sweden. SFK will continue to have a presence in Luton with around 50 non-factory workers.
SKF’s UK MD, Ian Peverill says: “It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to our dedicated colleagues.”
Following the closure of the Luton site, more than 300 items of machinery are being auctioned on 19 November. They include pick-and-place robots, motors, drives, compressors, pumps, conveyors, lathes, forklifts and vibratory finishing machines The robots for sale include Fanuc M 710iC 50, M-420iA, LR Mate 200iB and LR Mate 200iC models.
The equipment is being auctioned by the used machinery specialist, Surplex. The auction items can be bought at fixed prices before the auction. They can be inspected on 13 and 14 November.
