UK pottery giant’s US subsidiary crashes into administration for the 3rd time
The US subsidiary of a major UK ceramics manufacturer has filed a third notice of intent (NOI) to appoint administrators in less than a month. It comes after renowned British firm the Denby Pottery Company called in administrators in late March, citing rising costs including sky-high energy prices. The business' overseas arm now also appears to be experiencing financial challenges, with the latest NOI giving it temporary protection from creditors while next steps are considered.Denby USA's latest accounts show that around 10 employees could be affected, just weeks after the Derbyshire-based UK company officially collapsed into administration following a loss of £4.56million after tax. Tony Wright and Geoff Rowley of FRP Advisory were appointed to oversee the process, with UK sites continuing to trade under the administrators and subsidiaries in China and Korea reportedly remaining unaffected.Denby has not been the only business to throw in the towel, with UK company failures continuing their month-on-month climb in March and data from the Insolvency Service recording a rise of 7% to 2,022.Administrations also surged 52% between February and March to 235 and were 82% higher when compared with March 2025.The spike has been linked to fuel and energy cost rises associated with the Iran war, with experts warning that the trend may continue if the situation in the Middle East is not resolved.Tom Russell, president of restructuring professionals trade group R3 said: "While it may be too early to see the full impact of the worsening economic situation in the formal insolvency statistics, energy and fuel costs have risen significantly, and for many businesses this has come at the same time as customers are being more cautious with their spending."He added: "That combination is extremely challening, particularly for businesses with limited financial headroom."Sarah Rayment, co-head of global restructuring at advisory firm Kroll, also warned that big companies will "have no choice but to pass costs on to customers" while small and mid-sized firms will "sadly [be] pushed to the edge".
