The former Pochin concrete pumping business has ceased trading.

The company, which was rebranded Professional Concrete Pumping last year, is the country’s largest nationwide concrete pumping firm.

It stopped deliveries yesterday as the business was suddenly shutdown.

More than 100 stunned staff will today hear their fate at a series of planned meetings.

One told the Enquirer: “We are all truly shocked, we managed to trade through the tough times and business was really picking up. In fact, all the talk was about expansion.

“I expect we will be told tomorrow the business is going into administration and jobs will be axed.”

Management’s decision to shut the Tamworth-based business is threatening widespread disruption at sites around the country.

Professional CP was the country’s biggest national supplier operating around 60 mobile pumps from a network of around 15 depots.

Main contractors like Balfour Beatty and Vinci used Professional to supply many of their sites.

A statement issued by Professional CP said: “As of 13 October the company has ceased trading, no machines will be going to site and no orders will be placed.”

The Pochin concrete pumping business was started with one concrete pump back in 1969 and grew to boast the biggest fleet of mobile concrete pumps in the UK

But it ran up losses during the recession and was sold for a £1 in July 2012 after being touted around the industry for several months.

As part of the deal, the buyers were restricted from using the Pochin family name after one year.

The business was renamed last year as part of a major expansion drive led by managing director Peter Liddle .

The business set its sights high aiming to increase its mobile fleet by more than 25% with an ambitious £5.2m plant growth strategy to more than quadruple its capacity in the static and placing boom market.

Professional CP won plaudits last winter from the Prime Minster after the west country team battled with storms and worked around the clock to reinstate the collapsed Network Rail sea wall at Dawlish in south Devon.

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2014/10/14/uks-biggest-concrete-pumping-firm-ceases-trading/

60 pumps devided over 15 depots? Thats only 4 pumps per depot. Not strange they can't make money with all these overhead costs.

No, three main depots in North, Midlands and South with the majority of pumps, the rest small satellite depots for easy UK coverage. It will leave a big hole in UK pumping services. To all the loyal staff at the sharp end of operations no-one could have done more to keep it all going.

So sorry for everyones loss. I hope everyone lands on their feet. The one thing I know is that durring some of my hardest times great things have come out of them. Hang tough.

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