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Thread: WR call in administrators
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23-10-2013, 01:02 PM #1
WR call in administrators
very sad news today WR are on the brink of collapse with the appointment of administrators.
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23-10-2013, 02:03 PM #2
Re: WR call in administrators
Let's hope a buyer comes forward
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23-10-2013, 03:09 PM #3
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23-10-2013, 03:49 PM #4
Re: WR call in administrators
Surely the staff are entitled to tupe?
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23-10-2013, 04:23 PM #5
Re: WR call in administrators
bad times just been with through it two weeks ago optimum cooling we got tupe to greenworks
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23-10-2013, 04:38 PM #6
Re: WR call in administrators
How's greenworks going Dom? It's Robbie
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23-10-2013, 04:42 PM #7
Re: WR call in administrators
Project Igloo initial message to employees
Message to all staff [excluding sub contractors and agency staff] to be delivered at 10amonWednesday 23 October 2013
You will be aware that the business has been experiencing some difficulties. The directors had been in discussions with advisors with a view to selling part or
all of the business. Unfortunately, due to the actions of a major creditor this process was not concluded and the secured lender has taken steps to protect the
business by appointing administrators. EddieWilliams and Rob Hunt of PwC were appointed as administrators on 22 October 2013.
I appreciate that this is a very difficult time for you. It is important that we support them and remain professional at all times.
Message fromthe administrator
An Administrator is someone who is qualified to manage the affairs of a business when it is insolvent. It is our role to take control of a company’s affairs
when it is in financial difficulty and tries to find a longer term solution to those difficulties.
We will be exploring all available opportunities to preserve the business in some form. This may mean a sale to a new buyer, in which case, employment for
any employees who transfer is protected by law. If a sale cannot be achieved, then there may be redundancies. This is not a foregone conclusion and I would
stress that we will only make redundancies where a role has ceased to exist and where there is no other option.
There is a team at head office and there may be staff from the Administrators team at each of the locations. The administration can be broken down into 3
phases.
Phase 1. Understanding the business, which customers we can continue to work with and which suppliers will continue to work with the administrators.
There may be redundancies as a result of the conversations that we will be having with those customers and suppliers. If that is the case, those who are
affected will be notified and supported through that process.
Phase 2. Pursuing a business sale, speaking to interested parties and entering into negotiations which may lead to an offer to purchase all or some of the
business. It could be that there is more than one party that we enter into negotiations with and we may sell different parts of the business to different buyers.
Phase 3. Concluding a sale of the business or, in the worst case scenario, closing the business.
There is no fixed timeframe that we are looking at for concluding each Phase. But because of the nature of the business, it will be critical that we work as
quickly as we can to protect the contracts and the business.
We are required by law to notify the government immediately that there may be redundancies in all locations. It is possible that if customers will not work
with the administrators and if a buyer cannot be found in a very short timescale, it is possible that all staff will face redundancy in the coming days and weeks.
I would stress again, it is a possibility but one that we will be working extremely hard to avoid.
If you aremonthly paid, I understand that your wages have been paid in the usual way. This payment covers your wages for the whole of October. Monthly
paid staff should continue to report to work and undertake their usual duties.
If you are weekly paid, your wages were paid on Friday 18th October. . You are due to be paid again on Friday 25th October for work done between Friday 11
October to Thursday 17 October 2013 and we have secured funding to enable a payment to be made to you.
You may be asked to assist my team and I would appreciate your co-operation. Please continue to report through your usual line of command.
By working to your usual high standards, you can support the efforts to maintain the excellent reputation that WRR has in the marketplace which in turn will
assist my team in achieving a positive outcome for the business and for you as an employee.
Alongside our review of the financial position of the business it is important that we have the commitment from the customers and the suppliers that they will
continue to work with the Company as it is in administration. My team are currently contacting the key customers to ensure that they will pay for any work
that is done and we are looking to secure on going supply of critical supplies.
Please carry on with business as usual until further notice.
Please ensure that parts are used from existing stocks as much as possible, and minimise purchases if possible. There may be some disruption in our trading
arrangements with suppliers, this is not unusual in the current situation.
It is possible that disruption may arise in respect of fuel cards or Premier Inn cards as a result of the administration. Whilst we are seeking to ensure that
these remain operational, if anyone is in a situation where they have to pay for fuel put into a company vehicle or for an overnight expense, this can be
reclaimed through expenses. Expense claims will paid by the Company in accordance with the existing expenses policy. Please would you ensure that you
have an alternative method of funding fuel and overnight expenses just in case there is any disruption.
It is critical that we have a clear understanding of the Company’s assets and would ask that you undertake a comprehensive stock take of the contents of your
vehicle. By this we mean, a count of all spares, tools and other assets which belong to the Company. This is important to allow us to achieve maximum value
for the business but also to assess what the cost of running the business on an on going basis will be.
In summary:
Please continue to come to work as usual. The monthly salaries for October have been paid in full, and weekly wages will be paid.
If you are an agency worker or a sub contractor, you are not an employee of WRR and the information given above does not apply. The administrators
will issue purchase orders where on-going services are required. As this will form part of the payment authorisation process, it is essential that a signed purchase order is provided before works are undertaken. All subcontract and agency labour is asked to go home today and await further instructions from
your employer.
We hope to be in a position to provide staff with a further update as soon as possible. Given the location of staff, it is likely that updates may not be given in
person and could be a written update.
An email will be sent shortly to confirm this message but also to give some important information regarding the administration. If you do not have email
access and require a hard copy of this to be sent to you at home, please contact HR.
If anyone has any questions for me or my team, please would you send them via your usual line manager, through HR or through your Employment
Engagement Team representative. Questions will be collated and a FAQ circulated on a regular basis.
Thank you for your time today.
ENDS
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23-10-2013, 04:46 PM #8
Re: WR call in administrators
Mr newman its going grrreat same **** different t-shirt 1 in 3 for the call-out which sucks hows work mate keeping busy ??
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23-10-2013, 04:53 PM #9
Re: WR call in administrators
Yeah not bad mate. 1in3 nice!!!! Yeah ticking over mate. You still got same phone number?
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23-10-2013, 05:36 PM #10
Re: WR call in administrators
is that your mob on that posh website of yours ill send me num over
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23-10-2013, 06:50 PM #11
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23-10-2013, 10:52 PM #12
Re: WR call in administrators
£1 plus lots of debt.
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23-10-2013, 11:01 PM #13
Re: WR call in administrators
I bet climate and hrp are a bit nervous.......
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23-10-2013, 11:19 PM #14
Re: WR call in administrators
I'm sure climate give something stupid like 120 days before payment. They will be in for a massive hit from this. Let's hope something can be salvaged from this for the sake of all the employees who have stuck by wr till the end! I'd really Mike to explain what happened I know that much!
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24-10-2013, 07:38 AM #15
Re: WR call in administrators
It was not the suppliers who drove the winding up notice it was the Vat man (HMRC)!
You have to pay your tax!
Sad day for a company that built its reputation from a small family business and reached for the sky.
Technicians will be ok in my opinion as there is a skills shortage in our industry and someone needs to fill the gap.
Dealing with the supermarkets is a nightmare as the buyers drive down the prices on competitive tenders and then its up to the company who win to try and deliver the service on the shoe string budget.
In house facilities is the next big thing for the supermarkets with even the delivery companies such as Stobart under pressure as the supermarkets take more of the ancillary services in house as they try to continue to drive their profit margin for the investors.I love the smell of Ammonia in the morning!
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24-10-2013, 09:26 AM #16
Re: WR call in administrators
Sad news for WR, its employees and the industry, many people woke up this morning not knowing what their future holds, that’s not easy for anyone.
I wish everyone going through this all my best wishes and hope a resolution is found quickly.Refrigeration - its more than just a career, its a life style choice...............
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24-10-2013, 05:17 PM #17
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24-10-2013, 06:15 PM #18
Re: WR call in administrators
So do we think finally the contractors will stand up to the supermarkets (who are still making BILLIONS by the way) and tell them they can't work at impossibly low margins?, or will WR just be the first to fall?.
@neilbrownNB12
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24-10-2013, 06:26 PM #19
Re: WR call in administrators
Neil.
WR are at the end of an already long line of companies.
It's happening all over the world.
Hone your skills, keep your noes clean and hopefully someone will need you.
If you are further up the ladder then it becomes more complicated!
Grizzly
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24-10-2013, 08:23 PM #20
Re: WR call in administrators
A once damn fine company to work for ran by "hard but fair people" has now finally been driven into the ground by the supermarkets and people from a whole host of backgrounds who should have no place in the refrigeration industry.!!
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24-10-2013, 08:38 PM #21
Re: WR call in administrators
Surely space n Carter's will get it ?
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24-10-2013, 08:39 PM #22
Re: WR call in administrators
Jones lang la sell have gone back to in house facilities management due to been peed off with fm companies
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25-10-2013, 09:54 AM #23
Re: WR call in administrators
What a shame but if they go under who,s going to do the breakdowns in the short term ,will the supermarkets be weeing themselves, should we all be off down to morrisons to wait for the bargins!
Perhaps the supermarkets may realise they cannot keep killing off firms by playing one against the other.In the early eighties certain supermarkets used to tell hussmanns how much they could charge and look what happened to them.
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25-10-2013, 09:56 AM #24
Re: WR call in administrators
Crap times, I feel very sorry for all at Wr, been there, done that, got the t-shirt, hope all works out for all, but my only advise, if is does come to the point of redundancies, sign on at the job centre straight away and get whats owed to you. Don't be to prowd to say I won't do that, if you don't then well??? you're a ??????, but good luck.
j.j.Remember: 'ITS NOT HOW GOOD YOU ARE ITS HOW BAD YOU WANT IT'
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25-10-2013, 10:58 AM #25
Re: WR call in administrators
They finally got what was coming to them in all honesty. For as long as I can remember they have bought ****e contract after ****e contract. The last two years it's been run by a failed Honeywell egotistical knob who thought putting on the look what award I have won the company roadshow crap was somehow impressive. I really do hope that what's left of this Industry do what should have been done 20 years ago and tell the Supermarkets that WR have to whistle and let them struggle until they realise they don't run things. Sadly as we all know this won't happen and 2 years down the line we will be discussing another company that has gone the same way...
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25-10-2013, 11:00 AM #26
Re: WR call in administrators
i dont think the supermarkets give a sh*t to be honest, there will always be another WR round the corner ready to take the next step up the ladder to administration, until the industry as a whole tells the supermarkets to pay up or f**k off then nothing will change, wish all the lads the best for future!!
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25-10-2013, 11:01 AM #27
Re: WR call in administrators
We should find out next week what the future holds for WR. Not sure if the work will go in house, Tesco Fridge aren't doing that well by all accounts. I heared that they were given until christmas to buck up their idea's. This will probably change though..... Another major player out of the game.
Ive been with WR Tesco just under a year. Have worked with and made some great friends. I wish them all the best!!!!
Fingers crossed
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25-10-2013, 01:25 PM #28
Re: WR call in administrators
Hi all, I'm new to this forum and to be honest the industry having just joined Carters as a Recruitment Co-ordinator. It must a very bad week for all at WR, lets hope things get sorted soon, nothing worse than not knowing. All you can do is try to stay positive. Feel free to PM me I'm always looking for new info on the industry.
Cheers
Simon
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26-10-2013, 01:28 AM #29
Re: WR call in administrators
It doesn't matter what you think about WR or what they have done in the past concerning pricing of contracts etc.
We should all be thinking of the 600 families that will be suffering finacially now and most certainly in the near future.
I do hope that other conractors don't take advantage of the glut of engineers available and decide to take the p~~s with current wage structures or think they can get staff on the cheap. It's never good for any industry with a glut of highly skilled engineers all on the job market at once.
Don't think your boss will be understanding these days when the market is flooded and they can hire and fire at the drop of a hat knowing they can recruit a replacemnt within 24 hrs. I'm afraid all your wage rises have just been cancelled along with the extra perks you were hoping for. I spoke with a recruitment agency today and the amount of CV's hitting his desk was at a record level.
You'd better think before you start complaining about your boss thes days!!!!!
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26-10-2013, 01:32 AM #30
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26-10-2013, 10:57 AM #31
Re: WR call in administrators
in the end it will come time that one big company will be opened to look after most supermarkets-4-5 company joined then can sit talk about new contract value !!!!engineers from other firms all talk to each other its just our bosses hate each other with no limits....
Highly skilled engineer is not some one who has only certificates in his hand ....WR engineers are one of the best on the market ,thy were doing their jobs perfectly-the problem was that some one on the line did not know how to talk with clients to get contracts going and all that pressure was wrongly put on engineers... in in worst scenario any company would like to get one of them on board ....not only because they got position to fill but most important they just cant afford to let good engineer go away to work for others....skilled trade ...one more think about that CV's hitting his desk at record level-read before say ....we had number of new staff last summer -a lot of them trying to become engineer ;they just don't,they just don't.....All the best WR...cooled things come to those who wait...
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27-10-2013, 10:44 AM #32
Re: WR call in administrators
I used to work for T.H. Wathes years ago, before they became WR. Life was much simpler then, each depot had its own contracts locally and national accounts were handed out by Leicester branch. It worked!
Again it's the same old story, the supermarkets and their contracting strategy, we all work for companies who are trying to build and get bigger, to do this they must aquire contracts that are increasingly bigger with the end result that if they loose a large contract or it is not as profitable as they thought it would be, then the company gets itself into financail trouble!
As an industry we are underrated, we have multiskilled people working in a trade that is a necessity in the modern age, refrigeration, everyone takes this for granted! What happens when there are no more refigeration engineers because the supermarkets want multiskilled maintenance engineers not dedicated tradesmen?
My thoughts and best wishes go out to all those at WR, good luck with the future!Mostly found nowadays at the sharp end of the stick!
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27-10-2013, 11:48 AM #33
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27-10-2013, 12:08 PM #34
Re: WR call in administrators
Bad times at WR then. In house is the future tho, even on the HVAC side we are being asked to help refresh the skill set of the ISTs... I can see where it is leading...
Which company will be next tho...
All the best to the guys in these uncertainties.
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27-10-2013, 02:01 PM #35
Re: WR call in administrators
We should not allow our skills to be undervalued, as a trade our basic salary is poor for what we do compared to other trades (and it's a damn sight more academic than like a plasterer or something), and we need to work ridiculous amounts of overtime to earn a decent wage at overtime rates that have been cut due to the supermarkets screwing the contractors down. Now we are meant to show the guy who's there to clear a blocked sink or change a lightbulb how to do our job!
@neilbrownNB12
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27-10-2013, 04:27 PM #36
Re: WR call in administrators
Guys!
Are we not forgetting the Pain we have all been through?
How can you show someone that is not trained to the Minimum legal and Industry standard ANYTHING!
"Can you show the M&E guy how to work on a fridge circuit"
ER! NO.
Or am I wrong in thinking there has recently been 3 levels of 2079 been made the minimum legal requirement.
Get where I am going with this?
Roll over, or use your expensive training as a basis for what we all do.
As an unqualified trainer, You are leading with your chin if said trainee has an accident.
We are inundated with rules and regs, use them as the basis for your reticence.
The way to go is use your skills!
And The Industry standards!
GrizzlyLast edited by Grizzly; 27-10-2013 at 04:29 PM.
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27-10-2013, 07:52 PM #37
Re: WR call in administrators
I think this should be a wake up call for the whole industry,including the supermarkets. Just think what the loss of a large organization such as WR might do to the industry. Yes all the engineers will still be here, but what about the loss of an exceptional group of engineers who worked very well together as a team. It takes a very long time to establish a group of engineers who know the ways of the different customers expectations. WR have this because of the wide customer base we have and the positive feedback we get from the customers speaks volumes. Not all jobs go in without problems but that is the nature of the beast. I think it will be a major blow to the customers as well as all the dedicated engineers if this organization was to end.
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27-10-2013, 08:33 PM #38
Re: WR call in administrators
sad news - belfrygroup went into administration on sept 22, ive not yet recieved a penny in wages and redundancy, make sure you get the forms filled in, and any holiday entitlement owed,leau of notice of redundancy and also years served-
hope you all get paid- its worse for those who have a long service record -all that loyalty counts for f*** all
good luck chaps
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28-10-2013, 01:01 AM #39
Re: WR call in administrators
my 2 bobs worth......there are a lot of cowboys out there...gas and go merchants etc. customers who regularly pay top dollar for the apprentice to practice on their fridges.
This won't apply to all the guys who lost their jobs because not every one wants to work for themselves, but if you have the tools/experience/and some wheels it's possible to make a fairly decent living from commercial refrigeration.
F@** the supermarkets...they made their bed so leave them to it.
No more trackers....no more stupid uniforms.....engineers who can actually fix stuff seem to be in short supply...we've got a rep. in the catering trade of turning up to a job, slagging off whoever was there before us and telling the business owner that his problem is gonna be very expensive to fix.
As long as there's people there'll be food and as long as there's food there'll be refrigeration and if you can be better than the last mob that failed to notice the freezer didn't work because the condenser was blocked.....you're viewed as some sort of magician and the chefs tell all their chef mates to give you a call.
Like I said, working for yourself isn't for everyone, but if you already know about customer service and can troubleshoot....the work is out there.
We're lucky, a lot of jobs actively discriminate against age.....in this trade people want someone who knows what they're doing....in fact they breathe a sigh of relief when they see it's not some 20 year old wide boy wearing white reeboks with the collar turned up on his polo shirt poking a screwdriver at a contactor.
Having said all that, I've never had the pleasure of being at the beck and call of sainsbury's, tesco etc. and maybe if that's the only thing you know it's not an option to branch out into other areas, but it seems to me that you supermarket guys are clever enough to work on stuff that isn't on the end of a pack.....which you need to be pretty clever to work on in the first place !
Or you could start split bashing...(i didn't say that) We're not plumbers on here
I think there's hope...that's what i'm trying to say..
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29-10-2013, 02:07 PM #40
Re: WR call in administrators
Tesco,Waitrose,Morrisons service and maintenance within WR has been sold to a large facilities management company saving 320 jobs.
Good news for some not sure on remaining jobs or departments at risk???????Last edited by careerman; 29-10-2013 at 02:23 PM.
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29-10-2013, 04:12 PM #41
Re: WR call in administrators
Integral the buyer. 255 jobs according to the administrators, most of the jobs saved are at Leicester
http://cooling-post.blogspot.co.uk/2...contracts.html
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29-10-2013, 06:47 PM #42
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29-10-2013, 07:45 PM #43
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29-10-2013, 08:27 PM #44
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29-10-2013, 08:46 PM #45
Re: WR call in administrators
The graveyard is full of indispensable men..
Not once in all the years of the trade has the failure of any one company made one iota of a difference. Read their history and see how many failed companies they absorbed before succumbing themselves.....
Originally formed as TH Wathes in Leicester, it is one of the pioneering UK refrigeration contractors.
In 1998, the Wathes company split into two independent businesses. Wathes Refrigeration became WR Refrigeration and Wathes Air Conditioning became AC2000. This signaled a series of acquisitions of well-known rival contractors – General Refrigeration in 1998, Northampton Refrigeration in 1999 and Westward Refrigeration in 2001.
WR was purchased by the Finnish group Huurre in 2004, which sparked further acquisitions – Trembath in 2005 and the UK service and contracting operations of Hussmann in 2006.Last edited by r.bartlett; 29-10-2013 at 08:50 PM.
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29-10-2013, 10:27 PM #46
Re: WR call in administrators
Very sad news on the demise of WR.
Why though, with the state of the retail refrigeration industry would a newbie (integral) want to enter such a cut-throat industry - if established contractors such as WR have failed, & also Cold Service who have started to pull away from supermarket service, would anyone else want to try and make a profit from it??
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29-10-2013, 11:38 PM #47
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30-10-2013, 12:11 AM #48
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30-10-2013, 12:11 PM #49
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30-10-2013, 06:57 PM #50
Re: WR call in administrators
http://cooling-post.blogspot.co.uk/2...ntracts.html#!
A number of WR Refrigeration’s major contracts have been bought by Integral, preserving 255 jobs. The exact terms of the deal have not been revealed.I love the smell of Ammonia in the morning!