50 jobs lost as metal casting firm calls in administrators

Some 50 jobs have been lost at a Walsall-based metal casting company, Kirkpatrick, has called in administrators following a period of sustained trading difficulties.

Andrew Turpin and Matt Hardy of Poppleton and Appleby were appointed as joint administrators to the company on 16 April 2020.

Kirkpatrick was founded by William Kirkpatrick in Walsall in 1855 and was incorporated in 1901. At this time long-serving employees were given a shareholding in the business, a tradition which has continued to the present day.

The company has a long tradition of producing handmade ironmongery utilising the skills of a local workforce.

The company employed 50 staff and had an annual turnover of around £1.65m but has suffered a recent downturn in trading.

The administrators say a combination of a declining order book, increased overseas competition, economic uncertainty and a reduction of funding support has hit Kirkpatrick hard, to the point where the current management could see little prospect of any significant upturn in the near future.

This was further compounded with the Covid-19 outbreak and temporary closure of many of the company’s markets and customers. As a consequence, the company stopped trading and lay off all staff on 24 March.
Despite the efforts of the management team to utilise the Covid-19 financial support, the emergency funding measures put in place by the Government were not available or forthcoming quickly enough to help the company and the decision to appoint administrators was taken.

Andrew Turpin, joint administrator, said: “This is a sad day for all involved in the business but reflected the difficulties being faced by many industries at present. It is particularly sad for a business of this longevity and tradition which is the last manufacturer of black ironmongery in the UK.

“Regrettably, the company is unable to continue trading in the current climate but there remains a current order book and it is our intention to explore all the options open to us, which include the possibility of achieving a sale of the business and assets.

“Any parties interested in the business should contact Mark Monaghan at my office on 0121 200 2962 or my agent James Acton at Gordon Brothers on 0121 213 6280.”