Scottish-based Land Engineering goes into administration

Glasgow-based firm Land Engineering (Scotland) has gone into administration, leaving 135 employees facing redundancy.

Employees at the Glasgow-based landscaping and civil engineering company were reportedly given just one day’s notice. Some turned up to work at their Finnieston, Glasgow offices earlier this week to find them closed and a notice with further instructions pinned to the door.

The firm is understood to have been suffering losses within its construction business.

French company Idverde has bought Land Engineering’s service, responsive and winter divisions, taking on 249 staff, after a sale process conducted by adminstrators to the collapsed firm. It has not been disclosed how much Idverde paid for the business.

Idverde said it will continue working towards several Land Engineering contracts at Grangemouth, Craighouse and Quartermile.

One worker told the Daily Record: “We are very, very angry at the way this has been handled … It’s disgusting. There are guys who have been here for 30 years who are going to end up with nothing.”

Andrew Davison, Ernst & Young (EY) joint administrator, said: “The market has become increasingly competitive for the company and has impacted on its profitability, particularly in relation to its construction business.

“Various options have been explored by the directors to address these challenges. Unfortunately none of these options were ultimately successful and the directors therefore took the decision to appoint administrators to help safeguard elements of the business. This has been achieved through the sale we have completed to Idverde.”

“While it has been possible to save more than 60% of the total jobs through this sale, it is with regret that redundancies had to be made in relation to the remainder of the company’s business,” Davison added.

“We are doing all that we can to assist these members of staff to make their relevant claims and are providing them with access to impartial advice to help them face the future.”