Bristol-based builders’ merchant group Burdens has gone into administration less than a month after selling off nearly half its branches to a rival.
Administrators from Duff & Phelps, who were appointed last Friday to the Emersons Green-based group, are now selling off the remaining branches while continuing to run the business.
Philip Duffy of Duff & Phelps, said: “Due to the established name of Burdens and quality of the business we have alre
ady been able to sell three of the branches within the group and have had interest expressed in the remaining thirteen.
“We will continue to trade the company as a going concern whilst we continue discussions with those parties interested in acquiring some, or all of the remaining branches.”
The company had a turnover exceeding £250m with more than 750 employees based out of 38 branches throughout the UK.
Burdens described itself as the UK’s leading supplier to the infrastructure, environmental and industrial markets. Established in Birmingham by Wilfred Thomas Burden in 1929, its branches were spread across the UK and Ireland, supplying pipes, bricks, concrete and other building materials to the infrastructure, utilities, construction and environmental sectors.
At the time of the sale of 22 branches to rival Wolseley UK for £30m last month chief executive Jeremy Burden said the move would “enable the Burdens business to be taken to the next stage of its development and will provide it with the level of focus required to continue to realise its full potential in the UK market.
“We are confident that the transaction will represent an opportunity to enhance service levels to both customers and suppliers and is positive for the employees involved.”
