Jobs lost as East Lancashire wrought iron firm collapses (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Jobs lost as East Lancashire wrought iron firm collapses
9:35am Wednesday 1st August 2012 in Business
By Chris Adams
FOUNDER Brian Rourke
A WROUGHT ironwork firm in East Lancashire which manufactured luxury gates for celebrities, Disneyworld, Hollywood and Liverpool FC, has gone into administration with the loss of 37 jobs.
Brian Rourke & Co, based in Accrington Road, Burnley, which was founded more than 50 years ago, has become the latest victim of the tough economic climate.
It went into administration on Monday and 19 staff were immediately made redundant.
A further 18 are expected to go in the next fortnight as administrators BDO LLP bring the company to a close.
They said that attempts to find a buyer for the Accrington Road-based business had proved fruitless.
Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle said he was ‘really sad’ to learn of the company’s demise.
He said: “Brian built the firm up working out of a shed and turned it into a very successful company, a major employer producing high-quality manufacturing.
“It comes as a real shock to me. I suppose people haven’t got the money to spend on luxury items in this climate.”
B. Rourke & Co was founded in 1961 in a hen hut in Brian’s sister’s farm in Deerplay Moor near Bacup. It moved to a forge in Blakey Street before settling in its current location in 1996.
Patrick Lannagan, business restructuring partner at BDO, said: “Unfortunately the current economic climate and difficult trading conditions significantly affected the business.
“The joint administrators are taking all necessary steps to mitigate losses to all stake-holders and, going forward, will seek to maximise recoveries for the benefit of all creditors.”
Although contact was made with a significant number of potential buyers, none of them had any interest in the business as a going concern.
Michael Damms, chief executive of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce said that news of Rourke’s collapse was a ‘great disappointment’.
He added: “It was a great family company and one that was particularly good at training and upskilling its workers. It provided a fantastic combination of manufacturing and artistry but people don’t have the sort of discretionary income they used to.”
The company recently produced and fitted new gates at the entrance to the Haworth Art Gallery, Accrington, and a 1.5 ton sliding gate — its longest ever at 12 metres — at Blackburn-based e-cigarette firm Totally Wicked.
Rourke’s timeline
- With just Brian and his wife Betty as staff, Rourke’s made £534 in its first year of trade after opening in 1961.
- In the 1970s, a recommendation from a local bank manager resulted in the company’s first ever export order to New South Wales, Australia, worth £15,000.
- Throughout the 1980s, additional premises were purchased, including a first ever ‘showroom’ in Church Street, Burnley. Its very first trade catalogue was launched worldwide.
- By the 1990s regular monthly containers were sent to New Jersey, USA, the company launched its own paint range, Vinylast, and completed projects for
- By 2001 the company had an annual turnover of £4.5million, employed 100 people and supplied celebrities including boxer Mike Tyson, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
- Rourke's gates have also featured in the Hollywood blockbuster Beautiful Minds starring starred Russell Crowe. and at Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield stadium, in honour of former manager Bob Paisley.
Comments(13)
kitty kat
says...
9:58am Wed 1 Aug 12
carrman2
says...
10:24am Wed 1 Aug 12
Redbike
says...
10:38am Wed 1 Aug 12
There was a story only yesterday about 30 "jobs" being created with a new Poundland - these are not what the country needs.
What a sad reflection of the times.
BigOrra
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11:05am Wed 1 Aug 12
midas
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11:26am Wed 1 Aug 12
hi everyone
says...
12:51pm Wed 1 Aug 12
kitty kat wrote:what a stupid silly little person you are i have been unemployed for 2 months and in that time i have applied for around 70 jobs from car valeter,mechanic to cleaning just to get a job out of all these i have had 2 repliles and one interview jobs are there but there are alot going for them so keep you unfounded usless comments to yourself you moron
What do you mean,you're unemployed?Jobs everywhere,you lazy swines,letting the country down with your idleness,benefit scrounging scum. Oh, wait........
shytalk
says...
1:07pm Wed 1 Aug 12
hi everyone wrote:Thankyou for your comment hi everyone..It saves me from venting my spleen at that sad case Kitty Kat who has proberbly never been in the position of having to try and find a job.
kitty kat wrote: What do you mean,you're unemployed?Jobs everywhere,you lazy swines,letting the country down with your idleness,benefit scrounging scum. Oh, wait........what a stupid silly little person you are i have been unemployed for 2 months and in that time i have applied for around 70 jobs from car valeter,mechanic to cleaning just to get a job out of all these i have had 2 repliles and one interview jobs are there but there are alot going for them so keep you unfounded usless comments to yourself you moron
happycyclist
says...
1:24pm Wed 1 Aug 12
shytalk wrote:Woosh... right over your heads.
hi everyone wrote:Thankyou for your comment hi everyone..It saves me from venting my spleen at that sad case Kitty Kat who has proberbly never been in the position of having to try and find a job.
kitty kat wrote: What do you mean,you're unemployed?Jobs everywhere,you lazy swines,letting the country down with your idleness,benefit scrounging scum. Oh, wait........what a stupid silly little person you are i have been unemployed for 2 months and in that time i have applied for around 70 jobs from car valeter,mechanic to cleaning just to get a job out of all these i have had 2 repliles and one interview jobs are there but there are alot going for them so keep you unfounded usless comments to yourself you moron
Interocitor
says...
1:35pm Wed 1 Aug 12
Anyway, so much for all the buff about this coalition being a govt that would revitalised our manufacturing industry. Going backward, not forward with this lot and it shows how bad things really are when you see a company that survived the recessions of the 1970s, 80s and 90s going under.
JayEss
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3:52pm Wed 1 Aug 12
happycyclist wrote:I thought the "Oh wait ..... " was a bit of a give away.
shytalk wrote:Woosh... right over your heads.
hi everyone wrote:Thankyou for your comment hi everyone..It saves me from venting my spleen at that sad case Kitty Kat who has proberbly never been in the position of having to try and find a job.
kitty kat wrote: What do you mean,you're unemployed?Jobs everywhere,you lazy swines,letting the country down with your idleness,benefit scrounging scum. Oh, wait........what a stupid silly little person you are i have been unemployed for 2 months and in that time i have applied for around 70 jobs from car valeter,mechanic to cleaning just to get a job out of all these i have had 2 repliles and one interview jobs are there but there are alot going for them so keep you unfounded usless comments to yourself you moron
If_it's_not_broken_don't_fix_it
says...
10:58pm Thu 2 Aug 12
hi everyone wrote:Absolutely! I have just hired a graduate for a position that simply required GCSE maths and English - this person has been trying for nearly five years to find work. I am looking forward to providing the appropriate training etc but until you're out of work and really trying to get a job, you can't possibly pass a reasonable judgement.
kitty kat wrote:what a stupid silly little person you are i have been unemployed for 2 months and in that time i have applied for around 70 jobs from car valeter,mechanic to cleaning just to get a job out of all these i have had 2 repliles and one interview jobs are there but there are alot going for them so keep you unfounded usless comments to yourself you moron
What do you mean,you're unemployed?Jobs everywhere,you lazy swines,letting the country down with your idleness,benefit scrounging scum. Oh, wait........
BTW we have had some super stuff from Rourke's and I'm really sad to see that they are no longer trading. A real shame.
EarbyAsh
says...
8:53am Fri 3 Aug 12
happycyclist wrote:exactly, i think it was a comment on the current climate and not a personal attack on the unemployed ... was support not an insult!
shytalk wrote:Woosh... right over your heads.hi everyone wrote:Thankyou for your comment hi everyone..It saves me from venting my spleen at that sad case Kitty Kat who has proberbly never been in the position of having to try and find a job.kitty kat wrote: What do you mean,you're unemployed?Jobs everywhere,you lazy swines,letting the country down with your idleness,benefit scrounging scum. Oh, wait........what a stupid silly little person you are i have been unemployed for 2 months and in that time i have applied for around 70 jobs from car valeter,mechanic to cleaning just to get a job out of all these i have had 2 repliles and one interview jobs are there but there are alot going for them so keep you unfounded usless comments to yourself you moron
mavrick says...
9:43am Wed 1 Aug 12