One of the largest independent metal recycling companies in Europe and its transport arm have plunged into administration with the loss of more than 100 jobs.
Interpath was appointed to Rotherham-based CF Booth late last week (16 January) and its haulage division Booth Transport followed suit on Tuesday (20 January).
Founded in the 1920s, family-owned CF Booth employs 168 staff and trades both ferrous and non-ferrous metals, as well as processing recycled materials for customers across the UK and beyond.
It holds an international operator licence authorising 26 HGVs and 40 trailers running out of two depots in the South Yorkshire town.
Interpath said the company had experienced significant trading difficulties over recent months, exacerbated by rising energy and copper prices, as well as increases to the national living wage and the impact of environmental legislation, VAT and HSE penalties.
In 2024, the company was fined £1.2m after one of its staff was hit by a 32-tonne skip wagon in its haulage yard and fractured his skull and collar bone.
The HSE said if the company had mitigated the risks to pedestrians from vehicles at its processing site then the incident could have been avoided.
Interpath said that the directors had taken steps to explore options available to them, including a possible sale and reinvestment, but with no solvent outcomes available they were forced to file a notice of intention to appoint administrators.
It added that operations had now ceased while it explored options for a possible sale of the business and 54 members of staff had been retained during this time.
However, 114 staff had been made redundant.
The last available set of accounts for Booth Transport showed that it made a £160,000 pre-tax loss on a £2.9m turnover for the year ending 31 March 2024.
James Lumb, Interpath MD and joint administrator, said: “CF Booth has a long and storied heritage in South Yorkshire, not least for its role as one the largest rolling stock recyclers in the country, working with several of the main rail operating companies.
“However, as one of the largest manufacturers of copper-based products in the UK, the company has also been hit hard by the tremendous surge in copper prices seen over recent months.
“This, coupled with broader economic headwinds, placed unsustainable pressure on cashflow.
“While we assess the options available to us, we would ask any parties who may be interested in buying the company and its assets to make contact with us as soon as possible.”
Booth’s administrations comes just two months after another scrap metals recycler, Stratford-upon-Avon’s Unimetals, entered liquidation after struggling financially.
