Joanne Hammond

A haulage firm providing services to the waste and recycling sector and operating 45 HGVs has been sold in a pre-pack deal after it collapsed into administration.

Wrexham-based 4 Seasons Beer Tent Co, which traded as Ningbo Walking Floors, appointed administrators on 17 January after experiencing financial difficulties.

Begbies Traynor said the Covid 19 pandemic was the catalyst for the firm’s problems, which also operated 50 trailers, and that it had experienced “significant losses”.

A Begbies Traynor spokeswoman added: “With mounting HMRC liability and rising insurance costs, the company did not have sufficient cash flow to continue trading.”

However, after the business was marketed as being for sale, a pre-packaged deal was arranged with Stockton Property, which saved all 38 jobs.

4 Seasons Beer Tent Co and Stockton Property share the same director, Christopher Stockton.

Joanne Hammond (pictured), joint administrator at Begbies Traynor, said: “Unfortunately, like many sectors, the haulage industry underwent a tough couple of years with the disruption of Covid lockdowns, and this, combined with historic HMRC debts, rising overheads and the need to repay CBIL loans, pushed the business into insolvency.

“The sale is the best outcome for staff and creditors, enabling the business to continue trading in the hands of an experienced management team.”

Financial records for the period ending 31 December 2021 showed that 4 Seasons was back in the black after reporting a £304,000 pre-tax profit, compared to a £1.3m loss in the year ending 31 March 2021.

Established in 1994, the company initially provided marquee hire and operated outside bars for public events, but subsequently began to operate as a specialist haulier of recycled and waste materials.

With a team of 31 drivers and seven support staff, the company operated a fleet of walking floor trailers and transported bulk waste nationwide.

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