Administrators sell WH Crossley

A STOCKPORT steel fabricator that went into administration two weeks ago has been bought, saving 22 jobs at the 180-year-old firm.

WH Crossley has been acquired from administrator Baker Tilly by B Hepworth & Company for an undisclosed sum.

Based in Redditch, the new owners specialise in the manufacture of performance windscreen wiper systems used in the rail, commercial transport and marine sectors.

WH Crossley, which employed 45 people in total, had another production facility in Ormskirk but that has been closed and all 19 members of staff there have been made redundant.

The company, which has a turnover of £3m, was established in 1824 as a firm of tinsmiths. Since then it has developed into a precision steel fabrication business serving a wide range of sectors including the rail industry.

Jonathan Eddy, of B Hepworth & Co, said: “This recent acquisition is very exciting for B. Hepworth & Co Ltd introducing a great fit into my company’s growth strategy both in terms of products and markets and secures jobs in Stockport. Baker Tilly was very professional in their negotiations and we achieved a timely result.”

Lindsey Cooper, joint administrator and restructuring and recovery partner at the Manchester office of Baker Tilly, said: “WH Crossley has suffered from a fall in orders in recent months and in the current economic climate it became clear that it wasn’t economically viable for the business to trade from two sites in the future.”

He added: “WH Crossley is very well respected within the industry and there has been significant interest from within the trade. The new owners understand WH Crossley’s core market very well and the management team are confident that they can develop it alongside their existing organisation.”