FRP administrators called to Christmas decoration company

FRP ADVISORY administrators have been called to commercial Christmas decoration company Fuzzwire.

Andrew Sheridan and Phil Pierce from FRP were appointed joint administrators to Fuzzwire. The business designs, manufacturers, and installs Christmas decoration displays at about 150 shopping centres including, Westfield, Canary Wharf, Blue Water and Lakeside.

According to the administrators the company suffered from a sharp deterioration in its financial position, in the last few weeks, which put unsustainable pressure on its cash flow. Despite efforts to attract external investment or to sell the business as a going concern, no buyer emerged, forcing the company’s management to lay staff off just before Christmas.

At the time of its collapse Fuzzwire employed 65 full-time employees, 44 part-time staff, and 78 self-employed subcontractors.

However, the administrators have managed to sell all of Fuzzwire’s contracts to UK-based designed and display company MK Illuminations, which is part of a larger Austrian-owned group which services 400 of the largest shopping centres across Europe.

Andrew Sheridan, FRP Advisory partner, said: “The assignment of Fuzzwire’s contracts should ensure the safeguarding and sound management of the Christmas decoration schemes that are in place, and ensure there is a smooth operational framework to facilitate their seamless removal to timetable by MK Illumination in the New Year, critical for the shopping centre customers.”

He added: “It goes without saying that we have huge sympathy for the former employees who have not been paid in December, particularly as we are in the run up to Christmas.”