ELW and Hall & Son both go under in struggling economy
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By Roger Brown and Joanna Bourke
TWO MORE HAULAGE irms have fallen victim to the tough economic winds buffeting the UK with the East Lancashire Warehousing Company (ELW) in administration and WF Hall & Son in liquidation.
Darwen-based ELW has gone into administration with the loss of 60 jobs. Paul Flint and Brian Green from KPMG Restructuring were appointed joint administrators on Thursday (14 April) to the warehouse and distribution business, which had an annual turnover of £5.6m. The company ceased trading immediately following the appointment of the administrators.
Flint, associate partner at KPMG in Manchester, says: “East Lancashire Warehousing Company has been serving customers in the North-West and nationally for more than 90 years. Sadly, the loss of key contracts has forced the closure of the business with the loss of 60 jobs.” Five employees have been kept on by the administrators to help with the winding up. ELW was authorised for 60 vehicles and 90 trailers at its facility in Eccleshill Road, Darwen, as well as 10 vehicles and 30 trailers at GEC Junction in Accrington.
The company covered the BB, PR and FY postcodes in north-west England for United Pallet Network. Pegasus Express will take over the PR and FY postcodes, while Chorlton Express will assume the BB work.
Meanwhile, Fishguard haulier WF Hall & Son has entered liquidation with a deiciency of more than £800,000.
However, some of the assets have been snapped up by Swansea-based Hall & Roche Logistics in a move that is believed to have saved 15 jobs.
The irm, which had an O-licence for 20 vehicles and 40 trailers, owed non-preferrential creditors £795,984 when it appointed Roger Hale and Robert Lewis of PricewaterhouseCoopers as liquidators on 4 April.
The snow in December last year and the collapse of a major client in January brought about the irm’s demise, with the bulk of its assets (£219,900) used to pay secured claimants, leaving the haulier with a £817,331 deiciency.