• Family-owned Davis Haulage, and its offshoot Rolfe Vehicle Hire,
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have gone into receivership, with boss Graham Davis hoping they can be sold as going concerns.
Smethwick, West Midlandsbased Davis Haulage runs 30 38-tonners: about a quarter of them are on contract work. Rolfe Vehicle Hire, which has offices in Birmingham and Smethwick, has 80 vehicles, ranging from car-derived vans to 38-tonners.
The two companies employ about 80 people. Davis says no-one as yet has been made redundant, and he hopes staff will keep their jobs. He blames high interest rates and a downturn in trade for the collapse of the firms, which he admits have been struggling to make adequate profits for nine months.
He is keen to stay with the group, which was set up in 1953. "This business is part of my life," he says. Both Davis Haulage and Rolfe went into receivership on 14 August. Insolvency practitioner Cork Gully, Birmingham, is handling the disposal. Tight trading forced Davis to sell a parcels operation earlier this year. Cab Transit Services, acquired in 1982, operated about 25 vans.
Davis Haulage also owns a Rover Group car dealership in Smethwick.
LI Parcels specialist Eagle Express is looking for a buyer for its business which was turning over more than 25m before going into receivership last week.
The franchise operation, which is based at Smethwick, West Midlands, is keeping on 17 out of 39 staff.