Office revamp firm ceases trading after more than 150 years

A West Yorkshire office fit-out company has ceased trading and appointed administrators after operating for more than 150 years.

Waterhouse & Sons (Wakefield) Limited, based in East Ardsley, near Wakefield, provided building refurbishment and office interiors throughout West Yorkshire.

Due to the downturn in the construction and refurbishment sectors, the business hit trading difficulties in recent months, experiencing reduced opportunities and continually tightening margins.

The company, which dates back to 1853, ceased trading on 3 October and all 21 staff were made redundant.

Lee Lockwood and Bob Maxwell of Begbies Traynor in Leeds were appointed as joint administrators of the company.

Joint administrator Lee Lockwood said: “The underlying cause of the company’s failure appears to be a slowdown in development and refurbishment activity in the face of economic uncertainty and, unfortunately, the business simply proved to be unviable.

“It is sad to see a business which has been operating for so long and has been run by the same family for four generations, ceasing to trade in this manner.

“Unfortunately, due to a lack of ongoing projects, there was no prospect of rescuing the business. We are in the process of disposing of the company’s assets and actively pursuing its debts in order to generate the best return for creditors.”

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