Scottish fish firms go
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• by Dominic Perry A long-standing Scottish fish haulier has gone out of business leaving 10 drivers facing redundancy and sub-contractors owed money.
The news comes at a tough time in both the haulage and fishing sectors (CM 1-7 Feb).
Haulage firms Arthur Eddie and Aurora Transport, both based in Fraserburgh and owned by Arthur Eddie, have shut down.
Despite petitioning for bankruptcy on 15 December, Arthur Eddie continued trading until 29 December and Aurora continued accepting work until 28 January, when it finally closed.
Alan Adie, from Eddie's insolvency practitioners BKR Haines-Watts, says that Eddie continued trading in an attempt to make the business work.
He says: "When you've been In business for twenty years you want to succeed and I think Mr Eddie tried as best he could."
Adie says that Aurora continued to trade due to confusion over who actually owned the company. It was initially registered to Eddie's wife Maureen, but was transferred to him In November 1999, Adle says that as some liabilities were not transferred, Eddie thought the business remained in his wife's name.
The final straw came when Eurotunnel called in a debt of around £20,000.
Both firms specialised in UK and Continental fish haulage with Germany a regular destination, pulling loads for an Aberdeen firm, Around 10 drivers have been made redundant and several subcontractors have lost money in the collapse: "One [creditor] has been considerably damaged but will probably manage to survive," says Adie.
Mr Eddie declined to comment.
Lutterworth, Leicestershire-based hauliers Rugby Forwarding has gone into receivership. The firm had depots in Lutterworth and Poole, Dorset. Nottingham insolvency practitioner Savilles was appointed official receiver on 23 January.