More than 20 jobs lost as Telford firm folds

CC Realisations Limited, formerly known as Contour Casings, a manufacturer of low-surface temperature heating products, entered administration last month.

The Stafford Park business immediately ceased trading, with all 26 staff at the business made redundant.

The company had originally outsourced its manufacturing but as the business expanded brought it in-house, and moved from radiator covers to architectural installations.

Bosses are now running a stripped-back, three-person business under the Contour name, which is in the original mould, with manufacturing outsourced, in the hope of rebuilding.

Boss Dawn Simpson said: "We went into different markets and what that led us down the path of was getting into contracts where we would have to go and survey premises, and things didn't go according to plan. That left us with severe operational issues."

She added: "It's really sad. We are a family-run business and we had been doing a pretty good job until then.

"Our staff felt like they were in a family operation, and we invested heavily personally into the business, but ultimately that prolonged the day day we had to make that decision.

"We have gone back to basics, with what we really need, to make a go of it. I'm working hard to make that different but it's early days."

Ben Woolrych and Russell Cash, partners at business advisory firm FRP Advisory, were appointed to handle the administration, and were also appointed to handle the liquidation of a sister company last week.

AHP Realisations, formerly known as Autron Heating Products Limited, was connected to CC and used staff from the company, so its collapse did not lead to any extra redundancies.

The administrators said the move was a result of "unsustainable pressure on cash flow" in the wake of operational issues.

That had left them with "no viable option" except administration, and the FRP duo are now attempting to sell the company's assets to raise money for creditors.

Ben Woolrych, joint administrator and partner at FRP Advisory, said: “Contour Casings had created a loyal following within the heating and related architectural fabrications market, with a specialist reputation for low surface temperature radiators.

"Tough recent trading conditions however had more recently placed unsustainable pressure on cash-flow resulting in the appointment of administrators and the cessation of trading.

"We continue to realise the assets of the business in the interest of creditors, consisting largely of plant and machinery. We have been assisting former employees with their timely claims to the Redundancy Payments Service."