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197 staff to be axed at conservatory manufacturer

Nearly 200 employees from a Darlington-based conservatory manufacturer and supplier have been made redundant after the firm went into administration.

Established in 1874 Amdega was one of the oldest suppliers of bespoke conservatories in the world.

Administrators said Amdega was “a victim of the severe downturn in the big-ticket and home-related parts” of retail.

Some customers will be affected as the firm had 300 orders on its books.

Mark Firmin and Brian Green from KPMG’s restructuring practice have been appointed as administrators.

They said there was no prospect for a sale of the business and most of the 197 employees had been made redundant.

Mark Firmin, joint administrator and KPMG’s northern head of restructuring, said: “Amdega is a victim of the severe downturn in the big-ticket and home-related parts of the retail sector.

“KPMG’s latest Retail Sales Monitor highlighted that these businesses are being hit hardest by consumers’ lower spending patterns and Amdega was unable to sustain the ongoing weakness in demand it was experiencing.

“Amdega had approximately 300 orders on its books at the time of the administration so there will be some impact on customers.

“Our key priority is to assess this situation and communicate with Amdega customers. We will be writing to them as quickly as possible, with information and guidance regarding their next steps.”

KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .