Administrators confirm the Goole-based emergency vehicle manufacturer has shut down after more than 30 years
O&H Vehicle Conversions had filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators(Image: O&H Vehicle Conversions)
Hopes that jobs could be saved at a Goole-based manufacturer of emergency vehicles have been dashed after administrators were officially appointed. Insolvency experts were brought in to O&H Vehicle Conversions last week amid financial difficulties.
The development brings to an end more than three decades of production at the firm’s Larsen Road facility, and results in the loss of 157 positions. Administrators from BDO LLP said the business had been affected by delivery delays which impacted revenue and cashflow, with the directors believed to be left with no alternative but to place the company into administration.
Attempts to market the business had been ongoing even before BDO’s appointment but a sale as a solvent, going concern could not be achieved. O&H’s 64,000 sqft plant which manufactured ambulances and other rapid response emergency vehicles is now shut.
Mark Thornton, one of the joint administrators said: “It is always a sad day when a longstanding business is forced to close. Given the financial position and outlook for the company, securing a sale of the business as a going concern was not possible.
“The priority of the joint administrators will now be to support employees impacted by the closure and realise assets in line with our duties in order to maximise the return for creditors.”, reports Hull Live.
The shuttering of O&H comes just weeks after CEO Mark Brickhill released a statement saying that since November of the previous year, approximately £2.2m in sales had been postponed. He stated that O&H had received support from shareholders for years, amounting to over £25m in a “very challenging industry”.
The most recent accounts for O&H Vehicle Conversions Group Ltd, spanning the year up to the end of February 2024, reveal a turnover of £22.3m and operating losses exceeding £9.7m. In those accounts, executives attributed delays to multi-year NHS Trust orders for ambulances which needed new post-Brexit accreditations.
Several O&H employees have taken to social media in recent days in search of new employment opportunities. A former director said: “It’s a difficult day, saying goodbye to so many talented and dedicated colleagues at O&H. People who showed up every day with pride, resilience, and a genuine commitment to doing things the right way. Watching a team like that be broken apart is heart breaking.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved together, and I’m grateful for the friendships, the support, and the professionalism you all brought to work every single day. To everyone affected, I wish you nothing but success in finding your next role and hope our paths cross again. If anyone reading this can help my colleagues into their next opportunity, please do reach out to them.”