The Challenge

Our South West and Wales team were instructed by Steve Henson and Adam Buck of Castle Hill Insolvency, to provide asset valuation and sales advice to assist the Administration process of The Marble Mosaic Company Ltd., a manufacturer of pre-fabricated building products.

Assets Included:

• A Teka TP2500 mixer and associated concrete batching plant;
• Mobile transport/plant, including forklifts, telehandlers, gantry cranes, step-frame trailers etc.;
• A Pelloby rail-mounted 12.5ton, 50m span portal yard crane;
• Stone cutting, joinery, metal fabrication and general factory equipment.

We were instructed to realise these assets as soon as the company had completed production for a major contract that concluded just prior to Christmas, which presented us with the challenge of timing our marketing strategy to maximise asset value.  

Our Solution

Equipment of this nature is best suited to the online auction sale format, in order to target and reach a wider global market. The majority of the assets were in good condition and full working order, and potentially generate strong interest and demand from both domestic and international clientele. 

The assets were catalogued and made live on our auction platform prior to Christmas, in order to provide as much exposure as possible, with the majority of general local / regional and targeted trade press marketing being done after Christmas. 

The Results

The auction was incredibly well attended, with circa 500 lots receiving 59,468-page views, resulting in 61 winning bidders from the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe. 

Some highlights from the sale included:

• Sisu / Kalmar Scercat TD2010M diesel triple mast forklift truck -  £35,500
• JCB 531-70 telehandler - £14,300
• SDC Trailers tri-axle step-frame trailer - £18,700
• Pelloby 12.5-ton 50m span rail-mounted portal yard crane - £25,500

Due to the layout of the site and the complex nature of some of the plant and machinery sold, the clearance process was staggered over a two-week period in order to facilitate contractor planning and safe working.  The generic factory assets were collected first to allow space and time to demarcate key areas and contractors during dismantling and removal of the larger, more complex plant and machinery.

One of the major achievements on this clearance was the sale, dismantling and removal of the Pelloby 12.5ton rail-mounted portal yard crane, which due to its immense size, spanning circa 50m width and 10m height, required a complex lifting operation. 

At Lambert Smith Hampton, the safe dismantling and removal of assets is paramount to all auction sales and site operations, for which we have established a benchmark standard in the industry.  Input and advice from our health and safety appointed / competent person is a key component of this process, which begins with a site-specific risk assessment survey to identify hazards and evaluate required site standards / control measures. This progresses to ensuring contractor documentation is obtained and reviewed, e.g. risk assessments, method statements, lifting and dismantling plans, etc. We take all ‘reasonable steps’ to ensure that contractors working on our sites are competent, and that relevant supporting certification, etc. for personnel, plant and equipment is obtained and verified. 

Our SSSTS qualified site staff monitor compliance with safe systems of work, and we undertake regular site inspections to ensure compliance with legal and statutory standards, such as The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, and with our own comprehensive internal policy and procedure.  All these parameters facilitate the removal of complex assets safely, ensuring that everyone goes home, and that liability to our Clients is eliminated or reduced as low as reasonably practicable, as showcased in this video of a successful crane dismantling.