Tamworth-based kitchen furniture manufacturer Prentice Furniture Manufacturers Ltd was placed into administration on December 20.
The family-run business was established in 1985 and produced high-quality, bespoke kitchen furniture, from its modern production facility in Tamworth, Staffordshire.
Andy Turpin and Matt Hardy at insolvency practitioners Poppleton and Appleby in Birmingham have been appointed as joint administrators.
An official statement said that all of the company’s 70 employees had been made redundant.
The company said that it had been affected by “some of the most difficult trading conditions of its 35 years trading with increasing competition, changing customer trends and shrinking margins”. It also said that the current economic uncertainty had led to a “significant fall in the order book”.
Joint administrator Andy Turpin said: “This is a sad day for the business and the local community with many of the founding employees still working for the company. The trading conditions being faced were not untypical of many businesses where consumers were tightening their belts and putting spending decisions on hold or deferring them indefinitely.”
Commenting on the administration of Prentice Kitchens, Steve Whitcombe, retail director at Gardiner Haskins in Bristol, said: “It was a total surprise to hear the sad news Prentice Kitchens had gone in to receivership, especially before Christmas. Gardiner Haskins enjoyed a long successful trading relationship with the people at Prentice Kitchens and we hope everyone connected with Prentice Kitchens finds new alternative employment soon.”
The administrators will be looking to sell the business’s assets and interested parties should email them at [email protected]