Enjoy the last round-up before Easter!
If you’re looking forward to the Easter break then you’re not alone. It feels as if the whole country could do with a few days off to reset and start the next part of the year on the right foot.
We can help ease you into it by catching up on the latest important and interesting business and insolvency news stories from the past seven days you haven’t seen.
So if you want to know why the insolvency service disqualified 1,000 directors last year; how to better understand the CCJ process; how the new US tariffs will affect your business; what the new financial changes that came into law in April you need to know about; how navigating an MVL can be smooth sailing with our comprehensive new guide or how a CVA could be the fresh start a business needs – you can read all these stories and more at our advice centre page.
Air Service Training
A Scottish training company which has provided training to thousands of pilots and aircraft engineers for more than 90 years has gone into administration.
Air Service Training was founded in 1931to provide approved courses in aircraft engineering and in the following 94 years has trained more than 190,000 engineers from over 150 countries.
A spokesperson for the company said: “AST has been experiencing financial challenges for some time. The board of the company has been considering its future and, having exhausted all options to save the business, has taken the difficult decision to place AST in administration.
“Our primary concern throughout the process has been our staff and our students and we’re working closely with the administrators in an attempt to ensure the most acceptable possible outcome for all of them.”
The company attributed the downturn due to financial struggles since the Covid pandemic due to declining student numbers, fewer commercial contracts and rising costs.
The business has secured funding to ensure the BSc in aircraft maintenance engineering and management programme will continue until the end of the academic year but all other courses will end immediately.
28 employees will continue to be retained until the summer to deliver the BSc course to 46 students.
Casino MK
A casino in Milton Keynes has closed after the company running it went into administration.
Casino MK is located in the Xscape complex in Central Milton Keynes but was closed when Aspers UK Holdings, which operates the premises, confirmed the news.
Opened in 2013, Casino MK was the second large licence super casino to open in the UK. It offered slots, electronic and table games, poker tournaments for members, live music and a restaurant.
Jones Food Company
An innovative vertical farming business has gone into administration this week despite previous backing from Ocado.
Jones Food Company was set up in 2017 to build indoor hydroponic farms to grow fresh produce in a controlled environment with the potential to deliver 3,000 kg of herbs each week to customers.
The business said its fully automated vertical farms were able to grow 100 times more yield per m2 compared to traditional land while reducing operational costs using renewable electricity and processing 90% less water.
Jones Food operated two farms – JCF1 in Scunthorpe opened in 2018 and a second in Chepstow, Gloucestershire was opened last year. Across the sites Jones Food Company supplied private-label products and produce under two brand labels – Homegrown and Leaf. The business also has an innovation centre in Bristol.
61 positions have been made redundant with 11 staff being employed to maintain the site while potential buyers are sought.
Belmar Engineering
An Aberdeen engineering business has closed with immediate effect and gone into liquidation with the loss of 48 positions.
Belmar Engineering had been operating in the city for over 50 years providing components and equipment for various subsea systems.
The directors blamed pressures of increased international competition, rising losses in recent years and falling orders as the reasons for the closure.
A statement said that “prior to liquidation the board had tried to sell the business either in whole or in part but was unsuccessful. They sought to review operating processes and pricing structures but without a base level of work, the factory was not viable and the decision to close was the final option.”
Glenfield Storage Solutions
An East Midlands commercial storage business has gone into administration and ceased trading with the loss of 16 positions.
Glenfield Storage Solutions operated a commercial storage facility in Leicester but had been dealing with difficult trading conditions for some time including reduced site occupancy and escalating cost pressures.
A statement was issued which said: “despite the best efforts of the directors to identify a viable solution, the business was no longer sustainable. Our focus now is on ensuring an orderly wind down of the company’s affairs and supporting employees and customers through the process.”
Administrators will oversee the sale of the plant and machinery owned by the company while arrangements will be made for the return of customer stock currently stored at the premises.
Whether you got a long break this Easter weekend or like most business owners, if you’ll be working some of it – we hear you.
This is why we offer a free initial consultation to anybody who feels they could benefit from an alternative expert opinion.
So no matter what your goals for the rest of 2025 and beyond – whether it’s expansion, consolidation or even survival – we’ll be able to help.
The sooner you get in touch, generally the more options you’ll have and time to implement them so take some time to refresh then get in touch and we’ll work with you to make this the best year it can be.