James Lumb and James Clark from Interpath were appointed joint administrators to Warwick Ward (Machinery) Ltd on 3rd December 2025.
Most of the 89 staff have been made redundant.
Founded in 1970 by Warwick Ward, the business has grown聽 to become one of the largest stockists and suppliers of new and used earthmoving and waste recycling equipment in the UK. The company operates from headquarters in Barnsley, with additional depots on Bromsgrove and Harlow.聽Machinery manufacturers that it represents include Case, Terex, Ausa, Faresin and Sunward.
In June 2023聽owner-directors Ashley and Matt Ward sold the company to an employee ownership trust.聽 In its last year of ownership under the Wards, it made a pre-tax profit of 拢679,000 on sales of聽 拢51.2m. In its first year under employee ownership it sank to a pre-tax loss of 拢1.3m with sales revenue falling 11% to 拢45.3m.
According to the administrators, the company had faced significant financial difficulties in recent times, exacerbated by the general drift in capital spending witnessed across the building and construction and waste recycling sectors. In response, the company explored options for refinancing, sale and investment. But, when a solvent solution could not be found, the directors took steps to file for the appointment of administrators.
James Lumb, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator, said that the recent change of ownership was a factor in Warwick Ward鈥檚 failure. 鈥淓mployee ownership trusts (EOTs) can often be highly successful, creating an exit route for shareholders, and bringing long-term operational and cultural advantages across the business. However, the additional debt that many such companies take on as part of the sale to an EOT can prove to be a burden further down the line, particularly if trading conditions become difficult,鈥� he said.
鈥淚n Warwick Ward鈥檚 case, the debt accrued as part of its transition to employee ownership was certainly a contributory factor in its difficulties. Ultimately, however, it was the wider economic headwinds buffeting the construction and waste recycling sectors that served to place unsustainable pressure on the company鈥檚 cashflow, which in turn led to our appointment as administrators.鈥�
He added: 鈥淥ur immediate priority will be to support all those workers impacted by redundancy, while we also explore options for the company鈥檚 assets.鈥�
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
