UK engineering firm collapses into liquidation after 60 years – 60 jobs at risk | UK | News

A construction firm in Cheshire has gone into liquidation with around 60 people losing their jobs as new pressures pile on the struggling construction industry. It was said that this well-established business plans to appoint managers to its staff earlier this week. Just a few days later, they were informed that the company would be closed and their employment terminated with immediate effect.

Gilks ​​(Nantwich), a mechanical and electrical engineering contractor based in Nantwich, has been in business for over sixty years. Last year it reported a turnover of around £11 million; this is a significant decrease from £15 million the previous year. Employees say they were first made aware of the firm’s financial troubles during a Microsoft Teams call on Monday.

The insider said: “The first we knew was a phone call from the team to the MD on Monday, who informed us that the company had applied to go into administration and continue operating as normal as nothing had changed.

“Then today (Wednesday) we all had another Teams call informing us that the company was being liquidated, we no longer had a job and we would not be getting paid, which was very sad.”

The worker added that he was waiting for seven weeks’ wages (he owed five weeks for last month and another two weeks for this month) when he was told the business would close.

The firm is owned by Deeside-based engineering companies Ethikos Group, which bought the Nantwich contractor in 2020, Construction Enquirer reports.

The collapse comes amid growing tensions in the UK construction industry. Contractors are grappling with rising material and labor costs, tightening margins, delayed projects and ongoing economic uncertainty, leaving many businesses vulnerable. Industry bodies have warned that insolvencies in the sector remain high compared to pre-pandemic levels, with smaller regional firms particularly exposed.