Auctioneer Eddisons CJM has been instructed to carry out the disposals following a restructuring plan that has seen the company exit the aluminium automotive business in the UK.
The firm’s West Midlands facilities - major suppliers of parts to Jaguar-Land Rover - has been sold to Evtec Aluminium. The Witham machine shop and its nearby aluminium casting plant, which manufactured parts for Ford and Jaguar Land Rover were closed down in the autumn after failing to attract a buyer.
There have been registrations to bid in the three auctions from around the world.
Eddisons CJM director Charles Moses said: “The international level of interest has been very high. We’ve been fielding enquiries from all over the world and we already have buyers registered to bid from Australia, India, Germany, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Egypt, as well as all over the UK and the Irish Republic.”
The first of the online auctions is to close on Tuesday (8th February) and involves the Freebournes Road site in Witham. The sale extends to 542 lots and ranges from 40 CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining centres, advanced machine tools used in high quality precision work, right the way through to the factory’s catering equipment and office furniture. Even the site’s bicycle shed is to go under the hammer.
On Wednesday 9 February, the complete Witham aluminium high pressure die casting plant is to be auctioned off. The 449 lots include 23 die casting cells, furnaces, robots, cranes, hoists and metalworking machinery. This auction too has a large quantity of office furniture and equipment, including that from the offices of senior management.
On Thursday, 10 February, 75 lots are to go under the hammer at the former Liberty Automotive Technologies site at Chelmarsh, Coventry.
Moses said: “The machinery and equipment in the auction at Chelmarsh has been designated surplus to the requirements of the new owners following the sale of the factory. It does include some very expensive, high-tech, kit, indeed there are individual pieces of equipment that originally cost as much as £600,000.”
He added: “Some of the aluminium casting equipment is of course extremely specialist, hence the extraordinary level of international interest, but that machinery and equipment apart, much of metalworking kit, tools and other equipment is applicable across many industries and businesses.”
“It is the most important machinery disposal auction event in the country so far this year.We are expecting the combined sales to make in excess £2 million.”
The auction catalogues are available at www.eddisonscjm.com. The viewing sessions for both of the Witham auctions are on Wednesday (2 Feb) and Monday (7 Feb) and for the Coventry auction on Thursday (3 Feb) and Tuesday (8 Feb).
