The plastic bottle recycler went into administration on 29 October 2024 and insolvency service Hudson Weir was appointed as the administrator.
Representatives from Hudson Weir said that when its instructed valuer and auctioneer GJ Wisdom & Co attended the site ahead of the auction, it found the factory unit empty and all manufacturing equipment “stolen”.
The insolvency service said that it believes it would have taken approximately ten articulated lorries and two cranes four to five days to remove the equipment.
The inventory included the following:
- Bail Break, Trommel Separator, Cap & Label Separator, Tomra Autosort Bottle Sorter with EM3 Metal Sensor
- Ken Mills Aries Horizontal Bailer, Label Remover, Pre-Washer, Granulators, Floating Tanks, Centrifugal Dryers
- Steam Boiler, Hot Wash Tanks, Hot Air Drying System, Blow Down Vessel, Tomra Optical Flake Sorter, Eddy Current Separator
- Discharge Silo & Twin Bagging Stand, as well as various connecting conveyors
- Boge Direct Air UK Air Compressor with a 1000L Tank & Dryer
- Two Polymer Preparation Systems
- Dissolved Air Floatation System for water filtration
Hudson Weird have reported the incident to the police and serious fraud department.
‘Extraordinary turn of events’ in QC Polymer administration
Hasib Howlader of Hudson Weir commented: “This is an extraordinary turn of events following the administration of QC Polymer.
“To understand the sheer scale of this robbery, GJ Wisdom & Co estimated it would take over four weeks to dismantle this plant and a fleet of six articulated lorries to cart it away. In reality, the theft was conducted over three days – showing that this was clearly pre planned and premeditated, but more to the point – the factory building showed no signs of forced entry. The Police and the Serious Fraud Squad have been informed. 
“The inventory of the equipment that was removed from site was highly specialist PET recycling machinery with a limited market for its sale and disposal. So, we are asking the industry to be on the lookout for this type of technology, being offered second hand at well below market value.
“We had secured significant interest in this inventory, with a number of interested parties ready to make offers when the sale date arrived on 11 November. This is a setback in our current plans as our intention as administrators is to realise as much for the business and its assets as we possibly can – returning to all creditors funds for distribution.”
Howlader has called for vigilance from the industry and asked that he is contacted at hasib@hudsonweir.co.uk or 020 7099 6086 if any of the machinery is seen.
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