Widdowson Logistics in possible pre-pack administration as former staff go unpaid

Widdowson Logistics has gone into administration.

But a new business, Glenfield Storage Solutions, which shares directors with Widdowson, has been registered at its Mill Lane headquarters in Glenfield, Leicester.

Widdowson, part of the Davis Haulage Group owned by investment firm HLD Group, was placed into administration on 23 January with Leonard Curtis overseeing the process.

Leonard Curtis, which was not available for comment, also oversaw Widdowson’s predecessor AM Widdowson & Son go into a company voluntary arrangement in 2015.

It also facilitated a pre-pack administration of AM Widdowson & Son in July 2016. This left creditors owed £13m. The business then morphed into Widdowson Logistics, remaining under the ownership of the Malta-registered HLD Group.

No one was available to comment from HLD Group, which recently sold Crewe-based Davis Haulage to Buffaload Logistics.

Glenfield Storage Solutions lists Damion Davis (a director at Widdowson Logistics) as director, as well as Demis Armen Ohandjanian, who is listed as a director at various HLD companies.

Ohandjanian is a director at Davis Haulage Group, the owner of Widdowson Logistics, and director of Birds Transport Leicester, which is registered at Widdowson’s address.

Property and staff

Motortransport.co.uk understands that Widdowson’s sites at Bardon and Scudamore Road, Leicester, now have red-coloured signage for Glenfield Storage Solutions, which was, until 19 October 2016, known as Widdowson Leasehold.

The Leicester Mercury reported this week that 20 staff affected by the administration had not been paid. The newspaper published a redundancy letter sent to affected staff on 10 January stating they would get paid as normal on
31 January, but the staff are yet to be paid.

Motortransport.co.uk understands Unite represented staff at a meeting this Tuesday (31 January) and that a protest on the Wednesday required police intervention.

Lee Christopher, owner of Leicester-based Premier Logistics, said he had taken on six drivers after they were made redundant by Widdowson Logistics.

There are believed to be 50 staff left at Widdowson.

DVSA records show an O-licence under the name of the Davis Haulage Group, with the same contact address as Widdowson Logistics, is under consideration by the Office of the Traffic Commissioner.

• What happened at AM Widdowson & Son?