140 jobs lost as contractor appoints administrators

Mechanical and electrical contracting firm George Birchall Ltd has entered administration after almost 40 years of trading.

The Stoke-on-Trent firm ceased operating due to poor trading conditions including the cancellation of a number of large orders.

Nearly all of its 141 staff have been made redundant, with a few retained to assist the administrators. 126 staff were based in Newcastle-under-Lyme with the remaining 15 in Edinburgh.

Its larger facilities management and maintenance business, George Birchall Service, which employs 400 people, remains unaffected and will continue to trade.

Birmingham-based corporate recovery specialists Butcher Woods have been appointed as administrators.

George Birchall Ltd director Ian Birchall said: “After 38 years of delivering high quality mechanical and electrical design and installation projects to many well-known companies, it is with great sadness that we announce the closure of George Birchall Ltd, our contracting arm based in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

“Due to recent economic uncertainty, the company had encountered very difficult trading conditions leading to unprecedented slippage in orders and cancellations.

“We regret that despite all our best efforts to help keep the business going it became impossible to continue, resulting in a number of job losses for which we are deeply sorry.”

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