60 jobs lost as Portsmouth steelwork firm Conder Allslade - which built parts of Fratton Park, Sainsbury's in Waterlooville, Portsmouth port and others - goes into administration

Conder Allslade Limited in Limberline Road, Hilsea, one of the UK's leading suppliers of structural steelwork, appointed two partners at RSM Restructuring Advisory LLP as joint administrators last Tuesday.

It said that more than 60 people have been made redundant, with a few remaining to carry out the wind-down of the business.

The company, which manufactured and installed structural steelwork into the industrial, retail, education and leisure sectors with specialism in car parks and warehousing, has ceased to trade with immediate effect.

Conder Allslade had a long history and was well respected for its work. It had worked on many projects, including providing 500 tonnes of structural steelwork for Stanhope House, a high rise 256-bed student accommodation block in Portsmouth city centre, and 300 tonnes of structural steelwork at Brockhurst Gate Retail Park in Gosport. It also installed 1,200 tonnes of structural steelwork at Sainsbury’s in Waterlooville.

It also put in 600 tonnes of structural steelwork to the 2,700 sq m terminal at Portsmouth port, and built the Milton end stand at Fratton Park, as well as some of the The News’ printing room.

Joint administrator Tyrone Courtman, partner at RSM Restructuring Advisory LLP, said that despite substantial investment into the plant by the company, the decision to appoint administrators was made after suffering difficult trading conditions due to several factors before and during the coronavirus pandemic.

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He said: ‘Conder Allslade Limited has faced challenging trading conditions as a supplier into several sectors affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

‘It is always very sad when a long-established and respected business with a highly skilled staff base has to close, and very much a reflection of what’s going on in the sector and many others during this difficult time for businesses.’

Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt said: ‘This is very sad new and I have asked the LEP to ensure these skilled workers have the support they need to secure future employment. I hope the administration process is able to salvage something, as pre 2018 it had been profitable, although with low margins.’

Conder Allsade Limited’s business and assets are being marketed with a view to concluding a sale in the near future.

The business was formerly Allslade PLC, which was established in 1984 by Roger Slade and his wife Sheila and was originally in Dundas Lane.

After a £4m investment, it moved into larger premises in Hilsea in 2008, but ran into trouble later that year and was bought out by Melham Group Holdings, part of the diversified Purico Group run by Nathu Puri, one of the richest men in the UK.

It was renamed Conder Allslade Ltd to incorporate the name of Melham’s Burton-on-Trent steelwork contractor Conder Structures Ltd.

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