Tile giant Pilkington's has gone into adminstration, putting 380 jobs at risk.
The Salford-based manufacturer supplies a huge range of wall and floor tiles to the construction and house-building sectors.
Paul Flint and Brian Green from KPMG Restructuring in Manchester have been appointed as joint administrators to Pilkington's Group, plus Pilkington's Tiles (Ireland), Pilkington's Tiles and Quiligotti Access Flooring .
It employes, a further 45 at its quarry in Poole, Dorset, and 10 at a facility in Swords, Dublin.
Pilkington's employs 325 staff at its Salford head office in Greater Manchester Greater Manchester.
The company also employs 45 staff at a site in Poole, Dorset, which includes a quarry with the capacity for 350,000 tons of heavy clay which is used in the manufacture of vitrified floor tiles.
It also has a showroom and factory shop in Audenshaw, Tameside, and a facility in Swords, Dublin, where a further 10 employees are based.
There have been no immediate staff redundancies while the administrators assess the position of the company.
Flint said: "Pilkington's Group has suffered intense cash flow pressures as a result of recent adverse trading conditions. Indeed, it's no coincidence that the latest BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor indicated that furniture and floor coverings were the worst-performing sectors within retail, highlighting the reluctance of consumers to commit to big-ticket purchases while uncertainty over the future looms."
He added: "We intend to trade the Pilkington's Group business while we seek purchaser for the company and its assets, and would encourage any interested parties to contact us as soon as possible.鈥�
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