The UK injection moulding division of Moll Industries (GB-Lancs; www.mollindustries.com) has been put up for sale after being placed in administration on 8 November. The move follows two months after the division´s US parent filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection when it had debts of USD 50m, a decision that meant it was in no position to offer financial support to the UK business. The 7,000 m² Morecambe plant has 48 injection moulding machines supplying parts to the medical, automotive and consumer durable industries. It has facilities for thin walled moulding and automated assembly, and currently employs 170 staff.

Administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers says that nearly 30 companies have expressed an interest in buying the business, with about one-third of them undertaking site visits. There have been no redundancies from the workforce, although the administrator is in discussion with the works council over employment levels as the plant continues in operation. Current turnover of Moll UK is GBP10-11m, although at its peak, before losing three major contracts when work was switched to locations outside of the UK, it reached GBP 18m.

Moll Industries Inc (Davie, FL / USA) has 23 moulding and toolmaking locations, including six sites in France and one each in Portugal, Brazil and Canada. All the French plants are in administration having experienced similar problems to the UK division. The parent company has received preliminary approval for a USD 50m debtor-in-possession financing facility with its senior lenders which, it hopes, will allow it to re-emerge from bankruptcy in the first half of 2003.