Kitchen showroom company collapses
THE company behind a kitchen showroom in Birkdale Village collapsed into administration before ever opening its doors.
Earle and Ginger Kitchens was to open in the Liverpool Road shop formerly occupied by June the Florist, with signs in place for several months stating that building work was taking place.
Shop fitters first began work late in 2018, but the company’s financial problems have now become too severe after losing almost £180,000 last year.
Although they are listed as separate companies at Companies House, each of its other shops in Stockton Heath, Urmston and Denton have been forced to close, while the Birkdale Village branch is now not expected to ever open.
Mike Williamson is owner of long-standing Southport-based kitchen and bathroom firm Love and Robinson and told the Visiter that suppliers Burbridge had informed him of the plans for Earle and Ginger to open last year.
He said: “A Burbridge rep came up last year and said; ‘We’ve got a bit of a problem because Earle and Ginger want to open in Birkdale village and their other shops supply Burbridge’.
“I said; ‘I’m not particularly happy but there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s fine, there’s a bit of competition but we can deal with that’.”
But it now looks as though the Birkdale store will never open its doors.
A statement from administrators Leonard Curtis said: “I can confirm that in this case, the administrators are of the opinion that the company has insufficient property to enable a distribution to be made to unsecured creditors.
“A dividend is however expected to be paid to the preferential creditors.
“Creditors whose debts amount to at least 10% of the total debts of the company may, however, request the administrators to seek a decision from the company’s creditors as to whether they approve the proposal.”