ALL 38 jobs at a construction trade company have been saved after administrators sold the firm to existing management.

Directors of Mercer Group called in the administrators on July 7, after serious underpayments from clients resulted in VAT and PAYE arrears and issues with HMRC.

The Turton-based company has now been bought by Mercer Projects Ltd and all 38 staff have been transferred to the new enterprise.

Bosses now say the future is bright for the Wellington Road firm. Director Alison Mercer said: “This has been an uncertain and very difficult period for Mercer Group but advice from the administrators at Wilson Field has made the whole process less stressful.

“Their communication and procedure and working closely with them has meant we have been able to keep all 38 staff.

“With our strong reputation within the sector as a multi trade company and with the same staff team, we were confident that the company has a viable future.

“It is very frustrating when events which are outside of your control threaten the very existence of your business and the jobs of a loyal workforce.

“Working with our advisors and staff, the future of Mercer Projects now looks very positive and we are in a position to offer our customers the same high quality of products and service.”

As well as saving jobs, estimated redundancy and holiday pay costs totalling £97,000 were mitigated through the sale.

Kelly Burton, director and insolvency practitioner at Yorkshire-based insolvency experts Wilson Field, said: “We are pleased that the sale of the company to Mercer Projects has resulted in all 38 jobs being secured and that the business will continue to trade.

“We determined that a pre-packaged sale would be in the best interests of creditors.”

Mercer Brothers Limited began in 2004, followed by D Mercer and Sons Ltd in 2009, as plastering-only businesses and evolved into a multi-trade company, to become known as Mercer Group.