Jobs saved at Bolton building contractor
All 38 jobs have been saved at a Bolton construction trade company after administrators sold the company in a pre-pack deal to existing management.
Joint administrators Kelly Burton and Lisa Hogg from Yorkshire-based insolvency experts Wilson Field were called in by directors of Mercer Brothers Ltd, trading as Mercer Group, on July 7.
The company, based at Turton House on Wellington Road in the Bolton outpost village of Chapeltown, had suffered due to serious underpayments from clients resulting in VAT and PAYE arrears and issues with HMRC.
Mercer Projects Ltd bought the company with all 38 staff from across the group transferred to the new company under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) – TUPE – regulations.
As well as saving jobs, estimated redundancy and holiday pay totalling almost £97,000 was mitigated resulting in a better return to creditors.
Kelly Burton, director and insolvency practitioner at Wilson Field, said: “We are pleased that the sale of the company to Mercer Projects has resulted in all 38 jobs being secured and that the business will continue to trade.
“We determined that a pre-packaged sale would be in the best interests of creditors.”
Director Alison Mercer said: “This has been an uncertain and very difficult period for Mercer Group but advice from the administrators at Wilson Field has made the whole process less stressful. Their communication and procedure and working closely with them has meant we have been able to keep all 38 staff.
“With our strong reputation within the sector as a multi trade company and with the same staff team, we were confident that the company has a viable future.
Mercer added: “It is very frustrating when events which are outside of your control threaten the very existence of your business and the jobs of a loyal workforce. Working with our advisors and staff, the future of Mercer Projects now looks very positive and we are in a position to offer our customers the same high quality of products and service.”
The companies began as Mercer Brothers Ltd in 2004 and D Mercer and Sons Ltd in 2009 as plastering only businesses and quickly evolved through training and business expansion into a multi-trade company, to become known as Mercer Group.
During a period of quadruple growth between 2012 and 2013, the company relocated its offices to Bolton and undertook work in both the public and private sectors including residential, educational, medical and commercial properties.
Areas of expertise included demolition, plastering, screeding, tiling, flooring, joinery, painting and decorating, structural and ground works and roofing.
It also worked in partnership with a number of local colleges and schools to provide apprenticeship schemes for 16-24 year olds to gain experience, skills and qualifications in the construction industry. Mercer Projects has continued to provide apprenticeships and currently has 4 apprentices who are working on our construction sites.
Gosschalks Solicitors of Hull advised and dealt with legal work with asset sales through Ian Maycock of Charterfields Surveyors in Manchester.
