Black Country clothes bank firm closes with loss of 90 jobs

A TEXTILE recycling company based in Oldbury has ceased trading with the loss of around 90 jobs.

BCR Global Textiles has been forced to close its doors after a combination of factors – including a recent fire – have left it unable to trade.

The directors of the firm, which runs clothes banks around the UK, with the consent of local authorities and charities, have filed notice of intention to appoint administrators and all staff have been made redundant.

The proposed administrators are from insolvency practitioners Poppleton & Appleby.

P&A director Andy Turpin said there has already been interest shown in parts of the business.

He said: “The business has been hit by a combination of factors which have made it impossible to continue trading.

“It was hit by a fire three years ago which cost the business around £750,000, the price of raw material has increased over time whilst the general quality of this material has reduced, thus squeezing the margins available.

“Furthermore, mounting international instability and exchange rate fluctuations have adversely impacted its position.

“The company has two main areas of its business – running recycling banks with the approval of local councils and also for organisations on behalf of charities – and it therefore has a sophisticated and extensive network which we believe will be attractive to those in the industry.

“It is always a sad day when people lose their jobs and clearly this company had done some very valuable work over the years.”

Charity partners included, amongst others, Against Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Now.