138 jobs could go in crisis after administrators called in
Almost 140 workers at two Willenhall businesses face an uncertain future this Christmas after administrators were called in.
Laidlaw Interiors Group (LIG), a Nottingham based door handles, ironmongery and partitions group, employs nearly 1,000 people.
Administrators from Deloitte were called in and four of its businesses immediately sold but buyers have not been found for three others putting 600 jobs at risk. These include Willenhall-based Laidlaw Ironmongery, which employs 126, and the 12-strong team at Balustrading Solutions.
The Black Country branches are both based in Strawberry Lane.
The administrators say they are currently 'assessing options' for the remaining divisions of Laidlaw in the hopes of selling them to new owners.
Laidlaw Ironmongery workers broke up for Christmas on Friday, while the Balustrading Solutions team break up on Wednesday. Both face an uncertain Christmas thought they have all received their December wages.
Richard Hawes, joint administrator at Deloitte, said: "The management of the group has been working hard to explore options to secure the future of all of its subsidiaries and, as administrators, we will continue those efforts.
"We are pleased to announce a buyer for just over half of the seven businesses, with no redundancies at this stage, and remain hopeful of achieving further sales post-appointment. LIG has been trading in some very challenging times, and whilst a number of businesses within the portfolio are profitable, the overall trading circumstances have become unsustainable."
LIG also owns a door manufacturer in India and a sales office with warehouse in the Middle East. Its head office and main centre of activity is in Langley Mill, Nottingham, as well as having centres in Willenhall, Birmingham, Mansfield, Leeds and Crawley. When Deloitte was called in, LIG employed 969 members of staff.
Investment house Valtegra has bought four of the UK businesses, safeguarding 390 jobs.
Laidlaw Interiors was formed in August 2011. Deloitte says that, as a result of a number of significant delays with several major contracts alongside other 'unhelpful' external trading conditions, the group had put itself up for sale in November.
