One of the UK’s leading bespoke timber conservatory and garden building manufacturers has re-employed workers and is looking forward to the future after being bought out of administration by new owners.
Fakenham-based Marston & Langinger, whose clients include business leaders, lawyers, showbiz personalities and media executives, shed 87 staff when a failure of its US business and the UK recession led to debts of more than £1m. Its stores in Chelsea, New York and Dublin also closed.
But after buying the assets and trading rights of the business from administrators Begbies Traynor, a new company using the Marston & Langinger name has already attracted new business worth £500,000 in its first few weeks.
Business turnaround specialist and newly-appointed managing director David Maaer said many former skilled workers had been taken back, together with new staff for low skilled positions, to make a workforce of 52.
“We’ve set up a business model to cope in the recession but to give us the capacity to expand as the economy picks up.
“I am quite excited because we inherited the old order book. We want to ensure all the old company’s previous orders are satisfied. But I have been amazed that we have picked up five new orders since we started worth over £500,000.”
“This is the only company I’ve worked with as a consultant and as a manager that I’ve felt comfortable putting my money into because it’s such a super brand.”
Mr Maeer said the previous owners had held onto the failing US operation for too long, leaving the UK business with weak cash flow just as Lehman Brothers failed and the recession started to bite.
Marston, whose products sell from £70,000-700,000, has reopened its London and Dublin outlets and is targeting distribution arrangements with high-end flagship retailers.
The company also has a door and window production business worth £1m annually.
