About 150 jobs lost as contractor brings in administrators - business dates back to 1890

About 150 jobs have been lost at a mechanical and electrical building services provider which dates back to 1890 following its collapse into administration due to "challenging trading conditions", as reported by Insider Media.

Raj Mittal and Benjamin Jones of specialist business advisory firm FRP Advisory were appointed as joint administrators of J.S.Wright & Co. Limited and Wright Maintenance Limited on 10 February 2025.

Founded in 1890, J.S. Wright established itself as a major building services provider, specialising in heating, plumbing, ventilation, air conditioning, drainage, and electrical systems for the hotel, leisure, residential, student accommodation and commercial sectors nationwide.

Wright Maintenance Limited, sister company of J.S.Wright & Co., was founded in 2019 and specialised in providing services to assist with the maintenance of plumbing, heating, ventilation and electrical installations for landlords, managing agents, housing associations and care providers.

The company had offices in Birmingham, London, and Bristol, and transitioned to employee ownership in October 2021.

The businesses entered into administration after recent challenging operating conditions, most notably a downturn in demand, along with delayed projects and payments, which left it facing cash flow pressure.

The administrators are supporting 152 employees across the two companies with applications to the Redundancy Payments Service while four colleagues have been retained to assist with the wind down process.

Raj Mittal, partner at FRP Advisory, said: "The company was a trusted contractor in the sector for many decades. Unfortunately, due to challenging trading conditions the business has been unable to meet its financial obligations and has ceased operations.

"Our focus now is on supporting the affected employees to file claims with the Redundancy Payments Service and realising the best possible outcomes for creditors."