West Midlands manufacturer liquidated after losses

A Birmingham manufacturer which once boasted an £11m turnover and a staff of 130 has been liquidated.

Dowding & Plummer, which made industrial flooring cleaning machines, could trace its roots back to 1946 and initially started as a small motor repair business and eventually began making its own range of floor polishing machines old under the Victor brand name.

The company called in insolvency and restructuring firm CVR Global after a period of losses and its premises on Stockfield Road in the city was sold in January.

Craig Povey and Kevin Murphy, from CVR Global, which has its Birmingham office on Brindleyplace, were appointed liquidators earlier this month at which time the remaining workforce was made redundant.

The remaining assets from the business have been sold by CVR Global to Barnborough.

Mr Povey said: “At its peak Dowding & Plummer had a turnover of around £11m and employed 130 people.

“Unfortunately, the business experienced loss making over a number of years and subsequently faced severe financial difficulties in recent years.

“Despite reducing employee numbers the business had suffered a large sales downturn from 2015 and subsequently resulted in us being called in.”

He said the sale of the premises in Stockfield Road was concluded in the best interest of creditors earlier this year.

“But despite the sale, the company was unable to move forward as a going concern and the company was formally wound up and all staff made redundant.”

CVR Global was formed in 2015 following the management buyout of the business recovery division of Chantrey Vellacott.