Oldbury factory jobs saved in takeover
Nearly 40 jobs at a Black Country factory have been saved after its parent company was bought out of administration.
The Samuel Groves bakeware plant in Station Road, Oldbury, is part of Metalrax Housewares, which went into administration on Tuesday.
Administrators from KPMG sold the business and its assets to Oneida International, a subsidiary of international manufacturer of tabletop and food preparation products Everyware Global Link, in a deal saving all 126 jobs including the 37 at Samuel Groves.
Metalrax Housewares also operated from sites in Burnley, Lancashire, and Fakenham, Norfolk, as George Wilkinson International, which provides branded products to leading grocery, department store and speciality retailers.
Samuel Groves, which was founded in 1826, sells its products under the Mermaid Bakeware and Lifelong brands. Paul Flint, joint administrator and restructuring partner at KPMG, said:
"Metalrax Homewares entered administration as a result of a continued downturn in trading and difficulties in meeting its debt obligations.
"Following comprehensive marketing of the company, we were able to secure a going concern sale – safeguarding the future of its 126 employees and two historic businesses in George Wilkinson and Samuel Groves," he added.
Local business: Billcar Precision Engineering, Shrewsbury
