Central London property firm Cluttons has reportedly been bought out of administration in a pre-pack deal.
The company, one of the UK’s oldest firms of chartered surveyors dating back to 1765, also has an office in Brighton plus operations overseas.
According to reports, it blamed its difficulties on ‘unsupportable’ pension liabilities and ‘difficult trading conditions’ which have particularly affected its transactions.
Cluttons will close three London offices, its global facilities management business, and its operations in Nigeria, according to the report.
Cluttons said it will now “focus on its more profitable areas, simplify its international and strengthen its core markets of London and the Middle East” and that “the corporate restructuring will allow Cluttons to continue to operate as normal and build a strong and flourishing business for the future”.
It said it is working to preserve jobs across the business.
Cluttons produced £7.1m in operating profits last year, but its pension liability has been beset by low interest rates, leaving the company to make up the shortfall.
The purchasers are said to be turnaround firm RCapital.
We have asked Cluttons to comment. However, an expected statement has not arrived.
The company’s last filed accounts show a loss of nearly £19m.
Cluttons are not part of RH & RW Clutton who are thriving independent firm of land agents, chartered surveyors and estate agents with offices in East Grinstead, Guildford and Petworth.
Comments (2)
it will close its opertations in Nigeria……….. errr perhaps this is where it went wrong? were they scammed? Maybe – but for sure when Gordon Brown raided the pension pots Labour decimated the pensions of millions. Final salary scheems were and are a pyrimid selling scam which is coming home to roost. The ‘advisors’ who recommended these scheems to companies need exporting to Nigeria perhaps…..
What a shame. A long standing ‘plusher’ named agency we all grew to know, hit by non industry legislative pension obligations.
Just shows even the historical foundations the industry moves forward on are not sacred.
Hope it works out, but a wake up call that agency needs a USP to win over more client revenues.