Jobs lost with engineering firm’s closure (From Wharfedale Observer)

Jobs lost with engineering firm’s closure

9:00am Sunday 5th August 2012 in Local news By Annette McIntyre

More than 130 jobs have been lost after a Yeadon engineering company ceased trading.

Airedale Mechanical and Electrical Ltd, which had a turnover of £66 million, has gone into administration due to difficult trading conditions.

David Costley-Wood, Howard Smith and Mark Firmin, of KPMG, have been appointed joint administrators of the company.

KPMG confirmed 135 employees had lost their jobs after administrators decided a sale of the business was not feasible.

Airedale Mechanical and Electrical reported pre-tax profits of £880,000 for the year to March 31, 2011. And its collapse follows the awarding of a £10 million contract from Balfour Beatty for mechanical and electrical work and office development in London in May. The administration comes less than two months after the failure of subsidiary company Airedale Electrical.

Established in 1984, Airedale operated throughout the UK, undertaking installation projects in commercial and public sector buildings, retail outlets and education and medical facilities, on behalf of the biggest names in construction.

The collapse of the company has led to the issuing of a statement by a totally unconnected company with a similar name after confusion about its own financial stability.

Rawdon-based Airedale Air Conditioning has moved swiftly to stress it is not connected in any way to the company that has gone into administration.

It says there has been some confusion because the two companies are both based in North Leeds and both have similar names, which are often abbreviated to just Airedale.

A spokesman said: “Further to the recent announcement that contractor Airedale Mechanical & Electrical, based in Yeadon, north Leeds, has gone into administration, we would like to make it known that Airedale International Air Conditioning, which is based in Rawdon, north Leeds, has no association whatsoever with Airedale Mechanical & Electrical.

“‘Airedale’ is the name of the local area: it does not reflect any association between the two companies. The financial position of Airedale International Air Conditioning Ltd remains very strong.”