One of the UK’s largest producers and processors of fish and seafood, Dawnfresh Seafoods and R R Spink & Sons (Arbroath), have been placed into administration.
Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Uddingston, the business operates seven fish farms across Northern Ireland and Scotland, with production and processing facilities in Uddingston and Arbroath.
The company supplies a wide range of retail, wholesale, food service and export market clients with a range of services, from fish processing and supply through to the creation of branded products such as RR Spink & Sons and Loch Etive.
In recent years the business has invested to upgrade the plant and systems, improving efficiency and reducing costs. However, despite best efforts to affect a turnaround, the business has continued to suffer from rising costs, overcapacity at the Uddingston site and unsustainable cash flow problems, with administration being the only option.
Following a short marketing exercise to find a buyer, joint administrators FRP Advisory secured a sale of the Arbroath facility to Lossie Seafoods, as a subsidiary of Associated Seafoods, in a deal that includes the transfer of all 249 staff to the new owners.
The subsidiary business Dawnfresh Farming will continue trading solvently. The business is being marketed for sale and interested parties are invited to contact FRP as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, the Uddingston facility, which was heavily loss-making, will close with immediate effect, resulting in 200 redundancies, with 77 staff being retained to assist the administrators with the winding-up process.
Administrators aim to assist those affected, including helping with redundancy payment claims and accessing third party support services.
The assets of the Uddingston site, which includes the land, buildings and plant, will be marketed for sale.
In September, Dawnfresh commenced a consultation with staff in Uddingston, attempting to encourage production teams to move to its expanded site in Arbroath.
Callum Carmichael, partner with FRP, said: “Dawnfresh is a high profile and highly regarded seafood business with a long tradition of supplying innovative products to a blue-chip customer base.
“Unfortunately, the business has been unable to overcome very serious financial problems at the Uddingston facility, but we are pleased to have secured a prompt sale of the Arbroath facility in a deal that will also preserve substantial employment in the town.
“Our focus is now on finding a buyer for the farming business whilst also realising as much value as possible from the other assets for the benefit of creditors.”
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