Warrington-based Harry Fairclough Construction has ceased trading after 120 years with all staff made redundant.
The move came after electrical engineer Eric Johnson of Northwich, which claims to be a creditor, entered a petition to have Harry Fairclough wound up. It is understood that an administrator was appointed after staff were sent home on Thursday last week.
Multiple employees of Harry Fairclough took to social network LinkedIn to discuss the development, including Carolyn Forshaw, listed as financial and HR director of the business. She said: “It’s official: Harry Fairclough Construction Ltd is insolvent, has ceased trading and is to be wound up.
“All staff, including myself, were made redundant yesterday. Yet this morning [Friday 21 February], I was met by members of my team who came into the office anyway, just to offer me their support in whatever way I needed, as the other directors and I dealt with the ‘legal’ stuff. The site teams secured our sites, emptied cabins and returned IT equipment, small plant and vans to the office and our wonderful IT tech even assisted with recovery of personal data and porting over of mobile numbers. That is the true Harry’s spirit… Words cannot describe how devastated I am that we could not save Harry’s.”
Another, Jamie Brooke, listed as procurement manager, said: “Today’s a sad day as Harry Fairclough’s close their doors after 120 years of trading. It’s been a great business to work for and we are all heartbroken as we know the board tried their hardest to resist insolvency.”
The business was set up in 1898 by apprentice Harry Fairclough in Warrington and in 1906 built the now-decommissioned Hale Lighthouse on the Wirral coast. In the 1910s, it completed several projects for the Manchester Ship Canal Company, and in the 1920s it won a £30,000 competitive tender with chemical company ICI at Runcorn by just a penny, starting a relationship with the client lasting decades. In the 1950s, it built structures including the Haweswater aqueduct, and by 2008 under a new management team it grew turnover from £15m to £50m.
In 2013, the company opened its Yorkshire division, based in Otley and secured projects such as the construction of Harrogate Borough Council’s new civic headquarters. However, the company’s last set of filed accounts for the year to 31 March 2018 showed that turnover had fallen back to £38m, with a pre-tax profit of £118,000. Noting the decline in turnover, the company said its performance was “satisfactory” given “prevailing market conditions.”
CM has attempted to contact Harry Fairclough but a pre-recorded message stated that the office was closed, despite the call being placed during office hours.
