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Shropshire estate agent Barbers goes bust
Shropshire estate agents Barbers has become the latest victim of the credit crunch, closing four of its offices with the loss of 60 jobs. Staff from Barbers Estate Agents were yesterday called into an emergency meeting where they were told the administrators had been called in.
Begbies Traynor, the Birmingham-based administration company, said the offices which would be closed were in Shrewsbury town centre, Newport, Stafford and Telford Town Centre, but that those in Whitchurch, Wellington, Market Drayton and the head office at Shrewsbury Business Park would remain open.
Begbies Traynor was appointed yesterday. No-one from Barbers was today available for comment.
John Kelly, from the administrators, today said the announcement affected the business of residential sales, lettings and commercial sales.
But he said Barbers Auction, which looks after the livestock market in Market Drayton, was a separate business and was not affected. He said: “Obviously Barbers is a very long established agency but it expanded very rapidly in the better years.
“Obviously as a result of which in the current climate, it has run into cash difficulties which has culminated in our appointment.
“Having said that, because they have been there for a long time and have a variety of different assets, we are reasonably confident we will be able to find a buyer for part, if not the whole, of it.
“We have had to make redundancies and close some of the operations. The ones we have closed are Shrewsbury, Newport, Stafford and Telford Town Centre locations.
“They are closed but having said that if we can act quickly and find a buyer, they could be reopened if we are able to find someone interested in operating from these locations.
“There have been about 60 redundancies, which is about two-thirds of the staff. Staff were told yesterday.”
Mr Kelly said they were today trying to keep the business going as normally as possible. He said customers from places where offices had closed would be looked after by other areas.
Begbies Traynor, the Birmingham-based administration company, said the offices which would be closed were in Shrewsbury town centre, Newport, Stafford and Telford Town Centre, but that those in Whitchurch, Wellington, Market Drayton and the head office at Shrewsbury Business Park would remain open.
Begbies Traynor was appointed yesterday. No-one from Barbers was today available for comment.
John Kelly, from the administrators, today said the announcement affected the business of residential sales, lettings and commercial sales.
But he said Barbers Auction, which looks after the livestock market in Market Drayton, was a separate business and was not affected. He said: “Obviously Barbers is a very long established agency but it expanded very rapidly in the better years.
“Obviously as a result of which in the current climate, it has run into cash difficulties which has culminated in our appointment.
“Having said that, because they have been there for a long time and have a variety of different assets, we are reasonably confident we will be able to find a buyer for part, if not the whole, of it.
“We have had to make redundancies and close some of the operations. The ones we have closed are Shrewsbury, Newport, Stafford and Telford Town Centre locations.
“They are closed but having said that if we can act quickly and find a buyer, they could be reopened if we are able to find someone interested in operating from these locations.
“There have been about 60 redundancies, which is about two-thirds of the staff. Staff were told yesterday.”
Mr Kelly said they were today trying to keep the business going as normally as possible. He said customers from places where offices had closed would be looked after by other areas.
Fri, 22nd Aug 2008