UK administrations update: April 30 – May 7

Since our last update, the following businesses have been confirmed as having fallen into administration. All dates indicate when the administration was posted by the Gazette and not necessarily the dates on which administrators were appointed.

Keiran Brown Building Services Limited – April 30
Keiran Brown Building Services Limited, a Staffordshire-based mechanical and electrical services provider, fell into administration on April 19, with the Gazette confirming the appointment of Emily Ball of Sterling Advisory as administrator on April 30.

In the company’s accounts for the year to January 31 2021, its fixed assets were valued at £568,733 and current assets at £2.3 million. At the time, the company’s net assets amounted to £189,371.

Find out more about rising insolvencies in the construction industry

Wembley Empire Development Limited – May 1
Wembley Empire Development Limited, a property development company based in Wembley, London, fell into administration in late April, with the Gazette posting the appointment of James Saunders and Geoffrey Bouchier of Kroll Advisory as joint administrators on May 1.

In the company’s accounts for the year to December 31 2022, its current assets were valued at £15.5 million. However, its debts at the time left the company with net liabilities totalling close to £410,000.

Westcombe House Developments Limited – May 1
Westcombe House Developments Limited, a luxury property developer based in London, fell into administration in late April, with James Saunders and Geoffrey Bouchier of Kroll Advisory appointed as joint administrators.

In the company’s accounts for 2022, its current assets were valued at £9.2 million, but its debts meant that net liabilities amounted to just under £598,000.

Ginger Fox Games Limited – May 1
Ginger Fox Games Limited, a retailer and maker of board and card games, fell into administration last month, with Gary Shankland and Irvin Cohen of Begbies Traynor appointed as joint administrators.

In the company’s accounts for the year to May 31 2022, its fixed assets were valued at close to £118,000 and current assets at nearly £3.4 million. At the time, its net assets amounted to £1.3 million.

Gojo Industries – Europe Limited – May 1
Gojo Industries – Europe Limited is the European operation of Gojo Industries, which makes a wide range of hand soaps, shower gels, shampoos, skin conditioners and sanitisers and is best known for its Purell hand sanitiser.

The company was placed into administration on April 30 after Gojo Industries opted to pull out of Europe, with Alastair Beveridge, Daniel Imison and Catherine Williamson of AlixPartners appointed as joint administrators.

In its report for the year ending December 31 2021, the company reported turnover of £56.6 million, down from £111.1 million a year earlier, which the company attributed distributors working through excess inventory purchased the previous year, the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and foreign exchange losses resulting from a stronger GBP compared to EUR.

The company fell from an operating profit of £9.4 million to a loss of £5.6 million, while its total equity fell from £8.9 million to £707,491.

Centika Logistics Limited – May 2
Centika Logistics Limited, a container and temperature-controlled haulage firm based in Leeds, fell into administration last month, with Christopher Brooksbank of CB Business Recovery appointed as administrator.

In accounts for the year to September 30 2022, the company’s fixed assets were valued at £576,385 and current assets at £987,352. At the time, its total equity amounted to £168,495.

According to a report in trade publication Motor Transport, the company held a standard international licence authorising the operation of 30 HGVs and 60 trailers from its site at Leeds’ Old Mill business park. The office of the traffic commissioner was said to be reviewing the surrender of this licence.

Find out more about the headwinds impacting UK logistics firms

Shine Food Machinery Limited – May 2
Shine Food Machinery Limited, a catering equipment supplier based in Gwent, fell into administration last month, appointing Huw Powell and Susan Clay of Begbies Traynor as joint administrators.

According to a report from industry publication Catering Insight, the company unexpectedly fell into administration and ceased trading following the collapse of a planned joint venture that was due to inject fresh capital into the business.

In the year to December 31 2022, the company reported turnover of £12.8 million, up from £8.9 million a year earlier, but saw its post-tax profits fall from £158,747 to just under £93,000.

At the time, its fixed assets were valued at over £1 million and current assets at £4.8 million, with net assets amounting to £1.1 million at the time.

CME Automation Systems Limited – May 2
CME Automation Systems Limited, a Chard-based company that manufactures cannabis packaging and automation solutions, fell into administration at the beginning of May, appointing Stephen Absolom and Howard Smith of Interpath Advisory as joint administrators.

Find out more about M&A in the UK cannabis industry

BulkGlobal Logistics Limited – May 3
BulkGlobal Logistics Limited, a Brentford-based logistics firm specialising in worldwide liquid transportation, fell into administration last month, with the Gazette confirming the appointment of Andreas Arakapiotis and Kikis Kallis of Kallis & Company as joint administrators on May 3.

In the company’s accounts for the year to April 30 2023, its fixed assets were valued at £831,267 and current assets at £480,734. At the time, however, its debts left it with net liabilities totalling £317,847.

LCUK Leeds Limited and LCUK Leicester Limited – May 3
LCUK Leeds Limited and LCUK Leicester Limited, outlets of UK laser clinic operator LCUK, fell into administration in late April, with Kim Richards and Richard Tonks of BK Plus appointed as joint administrators of both businesses.

In the 15 months to June 30 2022, LCUK Leeds Limited reported turnover of £477,152, but fell to a loss of £144,038. At the time, its fixed assets were valued at £385,209 and current assets at £136,211, but net liabilities totalled £143,838.

In the year to May 31 2022, LCUK Leicester Limited reported turnover of £213,776, but fell to a loss of £175,151. At the time, its fixed assets were valued at £458,728 and current assets at £114,633, with net liabilities standing at £174,951. A month later, its net liabilities had increased to £197,211.

8-10 Dover Street Limited – May 3
8-10 Dover Street Limited, a real estate company based in London, fell into administration last month, with Nimish Patel of Hudson Weir and Bijal Shah of Edge Recovery appointed as joint administrators.

In the company’s accounts for the year to December 31 2022, its fixed assets were valued at £5.1 million and current assets at £1.1 million. However, its debts meant that net liabilities amounted to more than £5.3 million.

Lodge Cottrell Limited – May 7
Lodge Cottrell Limited, a supplier of environmental air pollution control equipment for the power generation industry, fell into administration last week, with Rajnesh Mittal and Benjamin Jones of FRP Advisory appointed as joint administrators.

In the year to December 31 2022, the company reported turnover of £11.5 million, up from £10.8 million a year earlier, but saw its operating losses widen from £482,000 to £722,000. At the time, the company’s assets were valued at around £5.4 million, but its net liabilities totalled £7.9 million.


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