I’ve been keeping my eye on the Abbott Group Employee Helpline blog over the last few days, and it doesn’t look good!
Abbott Group Employee Helpline blog
If you read the posts, you will really feel for the employees of the Abbott Group as they have been kept in the dark, since the company ceased trading with the collapse of parent company Plastmo.
From what I can understand, Style Group (Safestyle UK etc) quickly purchased the remnants of Plastmo in order to maintain supply of product (under the guise of a company called Sprint 1234).
It seems like a tangled web, but from reading the posts that the employees of the Abbott Group it is clear that they have been left dangling without pay and information for far too long! The hope was that the Style Group was likely to sell the company to Tamar Group, but this deal seems to have collapsed today, and it looks like the company has gone into liquidation.
According to the website:
If the company does go into liquidation, the Tamar Group have expressed an interest in buying everything up & starting again. But there will be no continuation of employment, no obligation for past wages & everyone will need to reapply for a job.
If you haven’t already started looking for another job, now is definitely a good time.
10 responses so far ↓
1 TheGeneral // Apr 21, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Caught up in this whole sorry episode. No wages for almost 3 weeks now, no concrete information from management, and the Style group messing everyone about by refusing to pay us and also acting the goat when dealing with the Tamar group
2 Archi Pelago // Apr 23, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Not forgetting that coupled to this is a similar scenario at Watson Dallas Window Systems in Glasgow, same connection with Plastmo same delays in wages payments.
The nasty face of business - does this, in the end demonstrate the crap management in some parts of the window industry. All front and no substance.
3 Renegade Conservatory Guy // Apr 23, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I believe that Watson Dallas (unlike Abbotts) will be saved from liquidation, but I tend to agree, this is the nasty face of business, and mismanagement within the window industry,
4 I met you once // Apr 24, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Where to you get your information regarding Watson Dallas? If this is true its very bad news for the industry in Scotland. We compete against them and their pricing policy is crazy. Take the job at any cost!!!!!!!!!!
5 Renegade Conservatory Guy // Apr 24, 2008 at 1:12 pm
The news I believe is better for Watson Dallas, if you check out the latest news at:
http://www.fenestration-uk.com/News/NewsItem.aspx?id=4131
Yes, I think we did meet at Glassex once!
6 Steph // Apr 24, 2008 at 8:36 pm
My son works for Abbott Group in Hailsham and it has been one massive fiasco since Sprint 1234 (Safestyle) bought them out.
I feel some of the blame should lay with the receivers KPMG as we were told they made Safestyle take all 3 companies (Plastmo, Abbott & Watson Dallas) when all they wanted was Plastmo to save themselves.
They have funded nothing & locked staff out since they took over. Even now after going back into receviership staff are going to have to wait upto 4 weeks for back pay/redundancy forms to be processed. Even signing on for Job Seekers Allowance they have got to wait 2 weeks for an appointment for claims to be processed.
Last pay date was 4th April & it could be another 4 weeks before they get any money. Debts are mounting. Who’s going to pay all bank charges? Safestyle I doubt it.
KPMG should have sold them as individual companies at the end of March when we were still a viable business and had contracts on the table. Contracts & customers have been lost.
Thanks for nothing KPMG & Sprint 1234 & Henrik Jensen from Plastmo who caused the companies to dend up where they are now.
7 Watson Dallas // May 2, 2008 at 10:06 pm
“I MET YOU ONCE” If only!!
Unlike Sidey Windows we don’t have to downcry the opposition and tell lies. Our product and commitment to our company and our customers sells without “Take the job at any cost”. We dont have to spread lies and rumours about our competitiors, the proof is in the pudding-so to speak!! We are the BEST.
We have staff who have worked for us for years and will continue to provide the support and stability to take the Company forward.
So, sorry to disappoint you, but you know where we are if you want to take change your outlook and say “Met you Twice” - TAKE THE CHALLENGE!!
8 This website will be closed for one week // May 31, 2008 at 11:30 am
[…] customer’ who wouldn’t pay. There also seems to be a lot of people interested in the demise of the Abbott Group, and the involvement of Sprint […]
9 Mr L Baker // Jun 7, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I bought a new house, seven years ago with abbotts windows and doors.one fram has a fault.does this mean the ten year warranty has gone. les baker
10 Renegade Conservatory Guy // Jun 8, 2008 at 7:51 am
Hi Les. As far as I am aware Abbotts Group no longer exists so they can’t provide you with a guarantee. You may have been provided with an insurance backed guarantee - if so you could claim on that.
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