£1.3 Million in Machinery Stolen from Wolverhampton Recycling Plant in Administration

Insolvency practitioners have reported the theft of all equipment from a modern recycling facility that recently entered administration. On November 6, valuers visited QC Polymer in Wolverhampton to prepare for a pre-auction inspection of its £1.3 million machinery, discovering the premises entirely vacant. Hudson Weir, the administrators, characterized the theft as “an extraordinary turn of events.” The firm stated that West Midlands Police and the Serious Fraud Squad were conducting an investigation. Hudson Weir indicated that the facility, which went into administration on October 29, processed plastic bottles and featured a “comprehensive production line,” incorporating the newest advancements in recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) technology. Garry Wisdom from G J Wisdom & Co visited the Bilston factory last week, just before the scheduled public viewing, and found that all the equipment, valued at £1.3 million, had vanished. Hasib Howlader of Hudson Weir commented: “To understand the sheer scale of this robbery, GJ Wisdom & Co estimated it would have taken seven days to dismantle this plant and a fleet of 10 articulated lorries and two cranes to cart it away.” Mr Howlader mentioned that the machinery was scheduled for sale on Monday and had attracted “significant interest.” “This is a setback in our current plans as our duty as administrators is to realise as much for the business and its assets as we can, returning to the creditors’ funds for distribution.” He urged individuals within the recycling sector to remain vigilant for the sale of such specialized equipment. He further stated: “The inventory of the equipment that was removed from the 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.” A West Midlands Police spokesperson verified that they are investigating the burglary. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.