240 jobs lost but 700 saved as building services company folds

MORE than 240 jobs have been lost around Britain after a Yorkshire company which managed some of the UK’s best known buildings went into administration.

Administrators have saved almost 700 jobs, however, after they found buyers for parts of facilities management company Operon’s business.

In recent years, Leeds-based Operon had secured contracts to work at the Imperial War Museum in London and the Central Science Laboratories in York.

The firm, which also provided consultancy services, won the Companies with Turnover of 10m to 50m category in the Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards 2006. But in recent weeks it experienced contract and cash flow problems.

Hunter Kelly and Charles King of Ernst & Young were appointed joint administrators of Integrated Building Services Engineering Consultants, which traded as Operon, last week.

Operon, which employed 944 people, provided services to the private and public sector, including education and the NHS across the UK and Ireland.

Yesterday, it was confirmed the administrators had sold the company's right to 38 facilities management contracts to Europa Facilities Management and eight PFI/PPP contracts to GHG (London)Ltd .

As a result, 533 staff have gone to Europa and 157 have moved to GHG. Operon had 50 staff at its head office in Bridgewater Place, Leeds. Eight have been retained to help the administrators.