Gazette wind-up notices do not confirm 55 engineering job losses
The Gazette notices reviewed record company wind-ups and one wind-up petition in several regions, but none confirms 55 engineering job losses or an administration. Here is what they do show.
Key points
- None of the five Gazette notices names an engineering firm, a headcount of 55 or an administration appointment.
- Barber and Clarke Limited of Ipswich passed winding-up resolutions on 12 November 2024.
- HMRC petitioned to wind up Grindsmith Coffee Pod Limited, with a hearing set for 5 June 2024.
- Two Yorkshire companies, MBT Holdings (2014) and Parways (2022), also entered voluntary liquidation.
The Gazette, the official public record of insolvencies, carries no notice in the material reviewed that confirms a northern engineering firm has entered administration with 55 job losses. The five notices examined by Reported.News concern different companies in different years. None gives a headcount, describes the business as engineering, or records an administration. Until a primary notice or company statement says otherwise, the engineering job losses claim remains unconfirmed.
What the Gazette notices record
The most recent voluntary winding-up is that of Barber and Clarke Limited, of 440 Landseer Road, Ipswich. A notice dated 12 November 2024 says resolutions were passed on 12 November 2024 to wind the company up voluntarily. Michael Goldstein and Avner Radomsky of RG Insolvency were appointed joint liquidators, and the notice says creditors confirmed the appointment the same day. The notice is signed by director Perry Andrew Barber.
A separate notice, dated 23 May 2024, says HM Revenue and Customs presented a petition on 17 April 2024 to wind up Grindsmith Coffee Pod Limited, which traded from Media City UK in Salford. It was due to be heard at the High Court in London on 5 June 2024. The other three notices cover Corporate Solutions (NI) Ltd in Belfast, MBT Holdings Limited in Goole and Parways Limited in Driffield, all voluntary windings-up.
How the five notices compare
The notices differ in who started the process and in what the public record says about why. The table below sets out only what each notice states.
| Company | Place | Date in notice | Step recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barber and Clarke Limited | Ipswich | 12 November 2024 | Voluntary winding-up; joint liquidators appointed |
| Grindsmith Coffee Pod Limited | Salford | 5 June 2024 (hearing) | HMRC petition to wind up |
| Corporate Solutions (NI) Ltd | Belfast | 7 June 2024 | Voluntary winding-up; joint liquidators appointed |
| MBT Holdings Limited | Goole | 4 December 2014 | Voluntary winding-up; liquidator appointed |
| Parways Limited | Driffield | 10 May 2022 | Voluntary winding-up; joint liquidators appointed |
Only the MBT Holdings notice gives a reason. Its resolution says the company "cannot, by reason of its liabilities, continue its business". The other notices record the legal steps without explaining the cause.
Engineering company administration UK: what the notices do not say
Administration and liquidation are different processes, and none of these notices records an administration. Four are resolutions to wind a company up voluntarily, and the fifth is a creditor's petition to the High Court. That matters for anyone searching for news of a specific closure, because the wording of the notice tells you which process has begun.
The notices also say nothing about redundancy entitlements, the number of staff affected, or how creditors should lodge claims. They name the liquidators or the petitioner's solicitor, and four of the five give a telephone number for enquiries. For Barber and Clarke, the contact is the joint liquidators on 020 3603 7871. Without a primary source naming a company, a trade or a headcount, Reported.News cannot attribute 55 redundancies to any of them.
What happens next
For the notices reviewed, the dates are fixed by the documents themselves. In the Grindsmith case, anyone wishing to support or oppose the petition had to give notice by 4pm on 4 June 2024, ahead of the hearing at 10.30am on 5 June 2024. The notice does not say what the court decided.
Anyone affected by a specific closure can take three steps. Search the Gazette for the company's name or company number, check whether the notice refers to liquidation, administration or a court petition, and use the contact details printed in it. Staff and creditors of a named firm should expect their own notice to carry those details. If a company statement or an insolvency practitioner confirms the engineering job losses, this report will be updated.
How this article was produced
This story was researched, written and fact-checked by the Reported.News AI newsroom and edited by Amy Irwin, our AI Business desk editor. Every claim is checked against the sources listed below. Our Editors, Jack Shaw, James Smith, Matthew Price and Suzy Eaton, oversee everything we publish. Read how we report.
Verification status
Sources (5)
- Resolutions for Winding-up: Barber and Clarke Limited (The Gazette, 14 Nov 2024)
- Grindsmith Coffee Pod Limited (thegazette.co.uk, 23 May 2024)
- Corporate Solutions (NI) Ltd (thegazette.co.uk, 7 Jun 2024)
- Resolutions for Winding-up: MBT Holdings Limited (The Gazette, 8 Dec 2014)
- Resolutions for Winding-up: Parways Limited (The Gazette, 26 May 2022)
Corrections
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Desk View · Opinion · Amy Irwin (AiBusiness)
A figure such as 55 job losses spreads quickly, but the public record is plain: none of these notices supports it. Insolvency notices are dry, yet they say which process has begun and who to contact, and that is what affected staff and creditors need first. Reporting a collapse before a primary source names the company risks sending people to the wrong liquidator. The claim should wait for a notice or a statement.
Opinion from our AI business desk, based on the verified facts above.
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