Fire-hit Kidderminster waste firm goes in to administration
A recycling firm in Kidderminster, which was hit by two major fires in just six months, has now gone into administration – with the loss of 24 jobs.
Administrators have been appointed at Lawrence's Skip Hire Limited, which trades as Lawrence Recycling and Waste Management, in Stourport Road.
The firm has ceased trading and the 14-acre Forge site is being marketed for sale as part of procedings.
It follows a huge blaze in June, which gutted two warehouse bays on the site, causing major disruption to the business.
The fire burned for almost two months and a £250,000 taxpayer-funded operation was carried out to remove around 500 tonnes of unburned waste and demolish the fire-damaged bays following complaints about smoke from nearby businesses and residents. Full operations had only just resumed at the site following another serious fire in December, which destroyed recycling material in a large plant.
A statement that was issued by KMPG's administrators Mark Orton and Will Wright said the recycling business had become insolvent after the fires and 24 people had been made redundant.
It added: "The long-established business, which managed waste and recycling acrossthe commercial and residential sectors in the West Midlands, has become insolvent.
"Its operations at the Forge Recycling facility were firstly disrupted by a fire in December and then critically so in June. The recycling business is no longer trading and administrators have unfortunately had to make 24 employees redundant.
"A further 8 employees will assist administrators in the short term."
They added: "During the process of selling this asset and winding down the company the administrators are ensuring that appropriate measures are being taken in the aftermath of the fires and are liaising with the relevant local and national bodies in relation to any environmental risks."
No one from the firm was available to comment today.
