Administrators have been appointed at 50-year-old Hartlepool-based fire and safety door manufacturer Bridgman IBC.
Bob Maxwell and Ian Royle of BTG were appointed joint administrators on 6 March after the company experienced significant cashflow difficulties. All 56 employees were made redundant on 13 March after efforts to sell the trading business failed to deliver a buyer in time.
Ian Royle said: “Despite a strong effort by the directors to increase sales over the past 18 months, which resulted in a full order book, the business faced insurmountable cashflow pressures. Ultimately, it was unable to fund the raw materials required to continue production, and an accelerated effort to sell the business as a going concern in recent weeks was unsuccessful.
“Sadly, all 56 employees, many of whom had long service with the company, have been made redundant, and we are supporting them through the process.”
The assets of the business, which operated from a large manufacturing facility on the Longhill Industrial Estate in Hartlepool, include a substantial 88,000 sq ft factory site and a range of high specification advanced wood and metalworking machinery.
Established in the 1960s, Bridgman IBC built a strong reputation for manufacturing bespoke, high-quality fire-rated and safety doors for use in public buildings including hospitals, universities and schools. Its clients have included the NHS, Newcastle University, Cineworld, Hilton and McDonald’s.
Mr Royle added: “Our priority is now to support the employees and also to maximise returns for creditors, and we are now seeking buyers for the company’s assets. We have already received strong interest in what is a well-equipped manufacturing facility with high-specification machinery.”
Further information on the assets available for sale can be found online.
BTG is a financial advisory and real estate services group, which rebranded from Begbies Traynor in February 2026 to bring together the business and its eight service lines under a single identity.
