71 jobs under threat at building company
11:45am Thursday 14th February 2013 in News
A BUILDING firm involved in tendering work for large customers including Bolton at Home has gone into administration, creating jobs uncertainty for more than 70 workers.
Blakeley Tonge and Partner, based in Lever Bridge Mills, Darcy Lever, warned three years ago that economic conditions and competition from rival tendering firms were making its work harder.
Now the firm’s affairs are being handled by administrators from accountancy firm RSM Tenon, in Clive Street, Bolton.
Talks were being held on Tuesday at the Darcy Lever site.
Office manager John Scoble, said: “It is with great regret that Blakeley Tonge and Partner, a local construction company, entered administration on Friday, February 8.
“The company was established in 1976, and had traded in Bolton from two locations. These were Farnworth up until 2000, and then Darcy Lever until its demise.”
He added: “The 71 employees were informed on Friday that RSM Tenon had been appointed administrator.
More than 65 of the employees live in Bolton.”
No further details were available yesterday but Mr Scoble said RSM Tenon might make future statements as the situation develops.
As well as the company’s own employees, The Bolton News understands that a number of sub-contractors could lose money if the firm’s future is not secured.
Bosses said the company has a strong history of training young apprentices.
The firm was established by Frank Scoble in 1976, and has taken on more than 100 trainees since the 1980s.
Despite the credit crunch and flattening building sector of the last few years, the firm was still taking pride in its work and recruiting new trainees up until the late 2000s.
In 2009, 12 trainees appeared in The Bolton News with the former mayor, Cllr Norman Critchley, after completing a scheme of improvements to homes around Briercliffe Road in Deane.
Competition for work, even for the smaller jobs, was tough but the firm was holding its own, said directors.
However, they said one of the main problems was bigger companies trying to take their work. Tendering was a difficult process because labour and material prices were falling and everyone was fighting for the same work, they said in 2009.
Comments(28)
localbuilder
says...
4:34pm Thu 14 Feb 13
steveG
says...
5:38pm Thu 14 Feb 13
localbuilder wrote:Isn't that the problem?.
You will find this company owes hundreds of thousands of pounds to local sub-contractors and suppliers who have no chance of getting anything back, while their directors retreat to the property abroad.! Hopefully they will never be allowed to tender on Bolton MBC jobs again.
That no local companies are allowed to tender for larger council contracts as they go to firms appointed from central government,case in point being the refurbishment of the town hall,that particular job could have been carried out by any number of local companies.
Bert_Anchovy
says...
7:56pm Thu 14 Feb 13
They are already up and running under another name, the should NEVER be allowed to tender for council work again.
Jnr needs work
says...
8:40pm Thu 14 Feb 13
Working Woman
says...
9:49pm Thu 14 Feb 13
Boltontoday
says...
10:46pm Thu 14 Feb 13
Working Woman wrote:Is this actually true or are you just guessing?
You will find out, in time, that this local company, providing local jobs for local people went into administration because it was owed many thousands pounds by local organisations, including Bolton Council. How can they dare to quote "The Bolton Family" and "Bolton at Home" when they have an implicit role in the loss of so many local jobs?
thetrotter
says...
6:24am Fri 15 Feb 13
localbuilder wrote:Maybe the company themselves were owed hundreds of thousands from their clients.
You will find this company owes hundreds of thousands of pounds to local sub-contractors and suppliers who have no chance of getting anything back, while their directors retreat to the property abroad.! Hopefully they will never be allowed to tender on Bolton MBC jobs again.
exiled
says...
8:41am Fri 15 Feb 13
Bridg1
says...
1:03pm Fri 15 Feb 13
guerilla
says...
1:26pm Fri 15 Feb 13
Bridg1 wrote:This is a complete untruth, there are people in the offices working for the Administration company so the money owed to the creditors is maximised. This is normal procedure.
I hope all the suppliers and sub-contractors realise that this company closed their doors on Friday 8th February & began trading under a different name from the same premises on Monday 11th February! This is totally wrong and should not be allowed. Many people have lost thousands of pounds by what they have done. Perhaps this should be investigated by the administrators.
Bridg1
says...
4:44pm Fri 15 Feb 13
Bert_Anchovy
says...
8:01pm Fri 15 Feb 13
RIPPEDOFFSUBCONTACTOR
says...
3:31pm Sat 16 Feb 13
JustBecause
says...
9:02pm Sat 16 Feb 13
ricksparky
says...
9:26pm Sun 17 Feb 13
RIPPEDOFFSUBCONTACTOI also am a director of a small firm owed over 20k by these reprobates, going back to 2011, although btp and their creative deductions and disputed amounts owed methods of non payment state it to be 5k. In my opinion btp's agenda has always been don't pay the little man and sit and wait for him to go under, I really do pity the people that blakely tonge have intentionally stolen money from with no regard for the contractors and their families.
R wrote:
I am a director of one of the sub-contarcting firms that are owed over £20,000 by Blakeley Tonge & Partner. This firm approached customers to inform them they would still be trading uinder a different name BEFORE going in administration. Both Directors are currently in the Canary Islands. Numeous local small business are owed tens of thousands of pounds. We are owed money from September and October 2012, yet they have the funds to set up trading with a New Company. If your going to feel sorry, save these feelings for the Sub-Contarctors who have not been paid and Blakekley Tonge's employees, not the Directors of this firm.
scooby3
says...
10:29am Mon 18 Feb 13
JustBecause
says...
9:02pm Mon 18 Feb 13
ricksparky wrote:Why work with them then ? and the courts sort out none payment pretty fast.
RIPPEDOFFSUBCONTACTOI also am a director of a small firm owed over 20k by these reprobates, going back to 2011, although btp and their creative deductions and disputed amounts owed methods of non payment state it to be 5k. In my opinion btp's agenda has always been don't pay the little man and sit and wait for him to go under, I really do pity the people that blakely tonge have intentionally stolen money from with no regard for the contractors and their families.
R wrote:
I am a director of one of the sub-contarcting firms that are owed over £20,000 by Blakeley Tonge & Partner. This firm approached customers to inform them they would still be trading uinder a different name BEFORE going in administration. Both Directors are currently in the Canary Islands. Numeous local small business are owed tens of thousands of pounds. We are owed money from September and October 2012, yet they have the funds to set up trading with a New Company. If your going to feel sorry, save these feelings for the Sub-Contarctors who have not been paid and Blakekley Tonge's employees, not the Directors of this firm.
zoomzam
says...
10:35am Wed 20 Feb 13
MattyA
says...
10:51pm Wed 20 Feb 13
exiled wrote:Are you for real!!!!
I have appointed BTP for various contracts in the past and have ALWAYS found them to be a decent and reputable business. I do wish them all the very best and we should - wherever possible - look to support smaller local businesses, rather than relying on the pot luck service of larger firms.
(or on the payroll / a member of the family?)
These people have duped their work force, sub-contractors and Bolton council (& therefore council tax payers)out of many hundreds of thousands of pounds.
It is legalised theft and they should be taken to task.
MattyA
says...
10:56pm Wed 20 Feb 13
steveG wrote:????
localbuilder wrote:Isn't that the problem?.
You will find this company owes hundreds of thousands of pounds to local sub-contractors and suppliers who have no chance of getting anything back, while their directors retreat to the property abroad.! Hopefully they will never be allowed to tender on Bolton MBC jobs again.
That no local companies are allowed to tender for larger council contracts as they go to firms appointed from central government,case in point being the refurbishment of the town hall,that particular job could have been carried out by any number of local companies.
Are you referring toFarnworth Town Hall?
If so it was a local firm (BTP thieves) who carried out this work....too a point where they didnt pay enough money to enable them to line their own pockets and abandon ship.
MattyA
says...
10:58pm Wed 20 Feb 13
Jnr needs work wrote:They must have paid them / you with my money then???
I worked for this company as an apprentice and then for 8 years as a joiner. All the brickies who worked at the company got paid for the work they did in the atrocious weather and why should they be paid when not working - the world has gone mad!!!! I am sure they will set up working again i would work for them straightaway as there are fewer places now for me to get work.
They owe me £60K - nothing less than thieves
MattyA
says...
11:00pm Wed 20 Feb 13
Working Woman wrote:You are having a laugh arent you?
You will find out, in time, that this local company, providing local jobs for local people went into administration because it was owed many thousands pounds by local organisations, including Bolton Council. How can they dare to quote "The Bolton Family" and "Bolton at Home" when they have an implicit role in the loss of so many local jobs?
or are you a member of the BTP family??
MattyA
says...
11:03pm Wed 20 Feb 13
guerilla wrote:Hasnt John Scoble started a renewable energy company in the very recent past?
Bridg1 wrote:This is a complete untruth, there are people in the offices working for the Administration company so the money owed to the creditors is maximised. This is normal procedure.
I hope all the suppliers and sub-contractors realise that this company closed their doors on Friday 8th February & began trading under a different name from the same premises on Monday 11th February! This is totally wrong and should not be allowed. Many people have lost thousands of pounds by what they have done. Perhaps this should be investigated by the administrators.
If anyone is thinking of paying him for works carried out or even worse 'up front' it might be wise to think again!
MattyA
says...
11:05pm Wed 20 Feb 13
RIPPEDOFFSUBCONTACTOThey didnt approach me and they owe me £60K.....this sounds like fraud to me!
R wrote:
I am a director of one of the sub-contarcting firms that are owed over £20,000 by Blakeley Tonge & Partner. This firm approached customers to inform them they would still be trading uinder a different name BEFORE going in administration. Both Directors are currently in the Canary Islands. Numeous local small business are owed tens of thousands of pounds. We are owed money from September and October 2012, yet they have the funds to set up trading with a New Company. If your going to feel sorry, save these feelings for the Sub-Contarctors who have not been paid and Blakekley Tonge's employees, not the Directors of this firm.
MattyA
says...
11:09pm Wed 20 Feb 13
JustBecause wrote:rubbish.
ricksparky wrote:Why work with them then ? and the courts sort out none payment pretty fast.
RIPPEDOFFSUBCONTACTOI also am a director of a small firm owed over 20k by these reprobates, going back to 2011, although btp and their creative deductions and disputed amounts owed methods of non payment state it to be 5k. In my opinion btp's agenda has always been don't pay the little man and sit and wait for him to go under, I really do pity the people that blakely tonge have intentionally stolen money from with no regard for the contractors and their families.
R wrote:
I am a director of one of the sub-contarcting firms that are owed over £20,000 by Blakeley Tonge & Partner. This firm approached customers to inform them they would still be trading uinder a different name BEFORE going in administration. Both Directors are currently in the Canary Islands. Numeous local small business are owed tens of thousands of pounds. We are owed money from September and October 2012, yet they have the funds to set up trading with a New Company. If your going to feel sorry, save these feelings for the Sub-Contarctors who have not been paid and Blakekley Tonge's employees, not the Directors of this firm.
These type of players know full well how to manipulate and play the system.
They use smaller sub-contractors (Cannon fodder)who do not have the knowledge , understanding or the money to engage expensive lawyers to fight them through the courts.
& Bolton kept on giving them work
MattyA
says...
11:11pm Wed 20 Feb 13
zoomzam wrote:Idiot
Everything is going under in the North! Everything in the South is prospering! Which idiots from the North voted for Cameron???
chipsrdown
says...
1:07pm Wed 13 Mar 13

exiled says...
1:17pm Thu 14 Feb 13