John M Henderson in administration

John M Henderson & Co Ltd — a manufacturing company best known for its expertise regarding coke-oven machinery for the steel industry — has gone into administration, with 89 of its 95 employees made redundant.

The 148-year-old Arbroath firm said that a downturn in key markets has led to a reduction in orders. Angus MSP Graeme Dey has described the administration as “terrible news” and called on the Scottish Executive to do all it can to help the workers who have lost their jobs; they include 13 apprentices.

Blair Nimmo, joint administrator and head of restructuring for KPMG in Scotland, said: “John M Henderson is a leading name in the engineering and manufacture of coke-oven machinery, with a rich heritage dating back almost 150 years. It is clearly disappointing that a long-established company has suffered due to global demand and competition requiring it to cease trading.

“We will do everything we can to seek a buyer for the business. We would encourage any party who has an interest in acquiring the group’s business and facilities to contact us as soon as possible.”