Brass mill goes into administration

#mfg #manufacturing #engineering @McKechnieBrass Aldridge-based McKechnie Brass, one of the oldest brass mills in the UK, was put into administration at the beginning of January. The company, which was founded more than 140 years ago, said the collapse followed a period of heavy financial losses. Administrators Duff & Phelps have made 60 of the 75-strong workforce redundant and are in talks with several parties about selling the business.

Set up by Duncan McKechnie in St Helens, McKechnie Brass moved to Birmingham in 1894. The company was bought out of administration — with the backing of industrial conglomerate Grove Industries — in September 2011. It manufactures alloy metals for the automotive, electronics, energy and construction industries.

A spokesman said: “The appointment of administrators follows a sustained period of heavy financial losses, which resulted from a serious deterioration in trading conditions throughout the last year, particularly relating to the price of scrap brass material. These market conditions resulted in the business being unsustainable in its current form.”