CF Booth had entered administration after experiencing what administrators described as “significant trading difficulties”.
These were said to have been exacerbated by rising energy costs and copper prices, alongside increases to the National Living Wage, the impact of environmental legislation, VAT and Health and Safety Executive penalties, and other regulatory pressures.
A total of 114 employees were made redundant following the company’s collapse.
Administrators appointed in January
James Lumb and Howard Smith of Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators to CF Booth on 16 January 2026. The pair were subsequently appointed over five further subsidiaries of the company on 20 January.
On 10 March 2026, Lumb and Smith were also appointed joint administrators to two additional subsidiaries, Demex and Albion Jones.
Immediately following those appointments, the administrators completed a sale of substantially all the assets of the eight companies to Hu11.
Lumb added: “CF Booth is a big part of both the regional community and the UK and European metal recycling sector.
“The Ron Hull name is synonymous across South Yorkshire for scrap metal trading, so we are pleased to have concluded these transactions which not only preserve jobs for employees of Demex and Albion Jones but which we hope, in due course, will also see operations recommence at CF Booth’s sites in Rotherham.”
Ron Hull Group
The buyer sits within the Ron Hull Group, a Yorkshire metal recovery and waste recycling businesses founded in Rotherham in 1976.
Its Ron Hull Jnr division is among the largest scrap metal traders in the north of England, buying and selling ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
Nigel and Mark Hull, directors of Ron Hull Jnr, commented: “As a business which has operated in Rotherham for 50 years, we’re pleased to have been able to secure this transaction which reaffirms our commitment and support to the local area.
“We are incredibly proud of what our father Ron Hull has achieved, and look forward to building upon this success as we welcome the Demex and Albion Jones team to the Ron Hull family.”
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