Administrators appointed to glass firm with most of 167 workforce made redundant

Most of the workforce of a Knowsley-based glazing firm have been made redundant after directors placed it into administration.

Sarah O’Toole and Jason Bell of Grant Thornton were appointed administrators of Total Glass Limited on October 19, by its directors.

The business, which employed 167 staff, was founded in 1981, and was engaged in the manufacture and supply of UPVC and aluminium products to the construction and building trade.

Operating from Knowsley Business Park in Merseyside, with a turnover of around £25m, the company was a key supplier of UPVC and aluminium windows, UPVC and composite doors, fire doors, conservatories, curtain walling, screens and communal entrance doors.

Following heavy losses in the year to January 2020, the business faced a number of challenges as the country entered the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.

While the company survived the national lockdown, it experience supply issues in September 2020, and attempts to raise funds to recapitalise the business were ultimately unsuccessful and the company effectively ceased trading at the end of September 2020.

While the administrators have retained a small number of staff to assist with the administration, the majority of staff have been made redundant.

Administrator, Sarah O’Toole, said: “It is always unfortunate when any redundancies need to be made, but the cessation of trade a number of weeks prior to our appointment, coupled with product supply challenges in the sector, significantly limited the prospects of any business sale.

“Our focus now is on supporting the staff affected and the orderly realisation of the assets of the company.”