44 jobs losses as Macaskill Haulage goes under 8/12/11
Forty four workers have lost their jobs as the largest haulage firm in the Western Isles collapses with serious financial difficulties.
Macaskill Haulage of Stornoway has fallen into provisional liquidation it has been confirmed.
KPMG were called into to handle winding the firm at request of the company’s owner Derick Murray.
Mr Murray declined to comment yesterday (thurs).
Blair Nimmo and Tony Friar have been appointed joint provisional liquidators.
Acquired by the current owner in 2001, MacAskill Haulage Ltd is a long established business which has four depots across Scotland.
It is headquartered in Caberfeidh Road in the Newton industrial belt in Stornoway.
Operating mainly in the North of Scotland and the Western Isles the company specialised
in transporting refrigerated goods, flat and low-
All the company’s employees are being made redundant with a few members of are staying on as the liquidators try to sell off parts of the business. They are inviting bids for the lorries and assets.
Drivers made a final few deliveries around the islands and were expected to finish off last night.
According to local businesses, the firm owes tens of thousands of pounds to island companies.
Macaskill Haulage was established over 25 years ago by island entrepreneur Colin “Ossan” Macaskill.
It enjoyed unprecedented success with the growth of the salmon farming industry and specialised in transporting refrigerated fish from the Hebrides to Spain and France.
It transported return loads back to the UK and goods for its Co-
Under contingency plans, the Co-
Former Harris Tweed mill owner Derick Murray took over the firm in 2001 and increased its customer base and expanded the fleet.
He survived the drastic down turn of salmon farm sector which resulted in two major Scottish fish factories closing down and processing work transferred to the mainland.
Macaskill Haulage has four depots across Scotland. Its head office is in Caberfeidh Road in Stornoway. It also has a base in Lochcarnan, South Uist.
It has hubs at Dalcross Industrial Estate, Inverness and at Blantyre, Glasgow, and trucks goods to the Western Isles for supermarkets, shops and businesses.
Blair Nimmo, joint provisional liquidator and head of restructuring for KPMG in Scotland
said: “Macaskill Haulage Limited was a well-
“The company has been reliant upon financial support from its director.
“However, recent trading losses and associated cash flow pressures have become unsustainable.
“Unfortunately on appointment there was no option but for the Company to cease trading and, regrettably, 44 employees were made redundant.
“We are now considering how best to realise the company’s assets.”
Mr Murray of formerly controlled about 95% of the global Harris Tweed industry. He ran the mill in Shawbost which was set up by his grandfather in the 1930s. He later took over the Kenneth Mackenzie mill in Stornoway.
He sold the mills to Yorkshire businessman Brain Haggas about five years ago but held onto the haulage venture.