A family business owed more than £1.3m when it collapsed into administration, it has been revealed.
Rainford-based T.Wilson & Sons (Farmers) Ltd appointed Rushtons Insolvency in June after having been run by the Wilson family since 1977.
Its transport division was sold to Preston-based Len Wright Salads, a move that saved 42 jobs, but its farming arm had ceased to trade at the end of April, with the loss of 35 roles.
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Newly-filed documents with Companies House by Rushtons Insolvency have revealed the company owed more than £1.3m to its creditors when it entered administration.
Unsecured creditors were owed £781,935 while secondary preferential creditor HMRC was owed £551,685.
The business comprised a farming and haulage division. The 1,800-acre farming division grew fresh vegetables and salad produce across Lancashire, Merseyside and Cheshire for customers including Aldi, Booths, Hello Fresh and a number of food service providers across the UK.
The haulage division had a fleet of 25 trucks and 40 temperature-controlled trailers that transported produce for a variety of food industry customers.
In a statement issued in June, Nicola Baker of Rushtons Insolvency said: "The last few years have seen an unprecedented squeeze on many farms and aspects of food producing businesses, and, sadly, despite the strongly performing specialist haulage business, it was simply not possible for the company to keep trading as it was in the current economic climate.
"The efforts of the Wilson family and a key customer of the haulage business have saved a significant proportion of the jobs involved, and the new business continues to provide haulage services for customers following its sale.
"However, the directors had a responsibility to cease trading and protect the creditors of the unviable farming side of the business."
Writing on LinkedIn, company director Rob Wilson added: "We as a family did everything in our powers to turn the business around.
"The effects of Covid-19 and the relentless pressures of both retail and food service took its toll that we could not recover from.
"We tried our best but in the end had to admit that it was over.
"I would just like to thank all our customers and suppliers who we had many successful years trading with for there support and wish them well for it future.
"Also my mum Carol all the best for your retirement, you have worked so hard for last 50 years and so sorry it ended this way. To my brothers and sister I wish you well with what ever career path you choose.
"I was successful with the help of Ian Torley and the fellow directors of Len Wright salads to be able to buy the transport division of the company and save 45 jobs and we go from strength to strength.
"It's not been easy writing this. A whole batch of mixed emotions and I hope my dad who we lost in 2000 understands we had to do what we had to do and is looking down on us proud on what we achieved after his untimely sudden passing."
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