Dunne collapsed owing £30m to trade creditors

Aaron Morby 8 years ago
Share

Dunne’s main concrete frame operation collapsed owing more than £30m to both trade contractors and associated companies.

Dunne's main concrete framework firm and plant business owe nearly £15m to unsecured trade creditors
Dunne's main concrete framework firm and plant business owe nearly £15m to unsecured trade creditors

Also it has emerged that Keltbray paid £8.5m for Dunne’s Bathgate head office and plant in a deal concluded four weeks after the firm collapsed laying off 574 staff.

Insolvency specialist FRP Advisory detailed the level of debt across all six businesses placed in administration in a report to creditors.

At the two key businesses – Dunne Building and Civil Engineering and CLR Plant Hire – trade creditors and suppliers are nearly £15m out of pocket.

Dunne Building and Civil Engineering owes a further £13.8m to associated group companies.

Property and plant held by the two companies and parent group were secured from administrators by Keltbray nearly four weeks later.

This deal prompted the demolition contractor to set up a concrete frame business with Gordon Dunne taking a 20% stake and the role of managing director.

Keltbray deal

  • £3m for property at Bathgate, owned by Dunne Developments (Prior book value £4.45m)
  • £1.45m for CLR plant  (book value £1.7m)
  • £3.9m Dunne Building and Civil Engineering plant (book value £11.6m)

The administrator’s report reveals that turnover at the main concrete frame business rocketed in the last four years from £37m in 2013 to £94m forecasted for this year.

But the firm ran into cash flow problems after taking a £4.5m hit in 2015 on two loss-making contracts .

Cash flow pressure came to a head early in 2016. Dunne’s biggest main contractor client Multiplex was then persuaded to release £5m in accelerated payments to keep the firm going on its jobs.

But postponement of ongoing work of one of Dunne’s Multiplex contracts tipped the firm into a crisis in June, forcing the director to seek significant extra facilities with Dunne’s bank Santander.

But talks ended in deadlock forcing the directors to request the bank call in administrators on 19 July.

FRP Advisory has estimated the amount due to creditors and have requested detail information from Dunne’s directors to compile a more accurate evaluation of sums due. Several subcontractors contacting the Enquirer claim they are owed significantly more than has been initially estimated.

Key creditors Dunne Building and Civil Engineering

Associated Dunne Group creditors

  • CLR plant hire: £7.8m
  • Dunne Concrete Flooring: £100,000
  • The Dunne Group: £3.56m
  • Dunne (BCE): £2.33m

Unsecured trade creditors

  • Express Reinforcements: £2.67m
  • Tarmac Trading: £1.2m
  • Peri: £668,000
  • McGill & Co: £338,000 – contractor
  • Sterling Lloyd Construction: £312,000
  • FES Support Services: £271,000
  • Evencast (Kent): £244,000
  • LBC UK: £206,000 – contractor
  • Ischebeck Titan: £203,000
  • Taylor Maxwell: £160,000
  • Wolsley: £136,000
  • C J O’Shea Plant Hire: £133,000
  • Doka UK Formwork: £119,000
  • Hanson Quarry Products: £117,000
  • M&S Engineering: £112,000
  • Cemex UK: £110,000

Latest news

Expanding consultant Stantec swoops for Hydrock

Stantec UK business expands by a third as 950 staff join from Bristol-based engineer
15 hours ago

Turkish insulation panel maker to build £45m UK factory

Assan Panel to open first UK plant at Freeport East
39 mins ago

National Grid unveils winners for £9bn network upgrade

New 'enterprise model' to deliver infrastructure schemes quicker and cheaper
17 hours ago

Galliford Try names group head of infrastructure

David Lowery, Divisional Managing Director – Infrastructure.
22 mins ago

Chigwell Group looks at stock market listing

Essex contractor registers as Public Limited Company
23 hours ago

A57 Mottram Bypass clears final legal challenge

Balfour Beatty to get go-ahead to start shortly
24 hours ago

100 jobs axed as Geoffrey Osborne confirms administration

Chairman Andrew Osborne calls it a 'sad day' as board loses fight for survival
2 days ago

Midgard set for Notting Hill office tower overhaul

Landmark project edges towards final approval after 10-year planning saga
23 hours ago

Cumbrian civils firm clinches £40m Sellafield contract

Civils specialist Stobbarts will support McAlpine on groundworks and concrete
22 hours ago

Designers named for London 2000-bed student rooms job

Bouygues will build £400m London School of Economics student scheme next to Tate Modern
23 hours ago

£117m-turnover contractor files administration notice

ARJ Construction lodges court notice
2 days ago

£1bn London Blackfriars tower blocks approved

Trio of buildings rising to 45, 40 and 22 storeys approved by Southwark Council
2 days ago

Council decides to end Balfour deal after 13 years

Contractor has been maintaining roads across Herefordshire since 2013
2 days ago

Six civils clients to switch to low carbon concrete and steel

National Highways, Northumbrian Water and Sellafield sign fresh decarbonising pledge
3 days ago

Fortem extends homes repair deal across Birmingham

Willmott Dixon owned firm adds another two years to deal worth £170m
2 days ago

Kier wins £118m civil service Darlington hub

Work is expected to start towards the end of this year
3 days ago

Green light for 34-storey Digbeth apartments tower

480 flats will be delivered for Clarion housing association
2 days ago

LHC starts race for major retrofit and decarb framework

Hunt starts for firms to help with 6.1m social homes upgrade target
3 days ago

Windows giant Everest crashes into administration

Around 350 jobs at risk while hunt starts for a buyer to salvage business
3 days ago

Green light for £500m Newcastle health complex

Mixed use scheme will promote healthy living across all stages of life
3 days ago

Olympian Homes gets go-ahead for Bristol’s tallest building

Work on student and co-living towers to start this summer
3 days ago

ISG gets nod to start £20m Glamorgan school job

Ysgol y Deri specialist needs school is to built at Cosmeston, near Penarth
3 days ago

Walker Modular lands £5m bathroom pod contract

Specialist to work with Graham and Watkin Jones on major build-to-rent scheme

Banned building boss jailed for fraud

Court hears how disqualified director siphoned off cash from new housing company
3 days ago

Osborne staff start looking for new jobs

"Open to Work" flags appear on LinkedIn profiles
6 days ago

Plan rejected for 42-storey tower above historic building

Councillor describes as ludicrous plan to build 300 flats above Georgian mansion
6 days ago

Ventilation deal could hike product prices for contractors

Watchdogs at CMA launch probe after duct firm acquires rival
6 days ago

Tide gets go-ahead for London 412 student flats scheme

Volumetric developer secures planning for West Ealing project
6 days ago

Green light for £75m Friar Gate Goods Yard in Derby

Construction set to start this summer on revamp of historic buildings
6 days ago

Robertson to deliver £45m Newcastle NHS Trust works

Capital works will be focused on Freeman Hospital and the Royal Victoria Infirmary sites
6 days ago

Contractor services