Domus Tiles Limited, a UK flooring company in business for more than 60 years, has collapsed into administration. The company, founded in 1964, supplies premium tiles and flooring to interior designers, architects and corporate customers.
Chris Pole and Will Wright of Interpath were appointed as joint administrators on October 27. Immediately after their appointment, the company's business and assets were sold to Domus Group London Limited in a pre-pack deal.
Rescue deal saves all 112 jobs
The new company is owned and led by Domus's existing management team, meaning the Domus business will continue trading. All 112 employees have transferred to the new owner.
Domus operates six showrooms across the UK in Battersea, Clerkenwell, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and West Molesey. The company has been involved in major projects including Heathrow Airport Terminals 2 and 5, the US Embassy in London, Wembley Stadium and Battersea Power Station.
Background and parent company administration
The company was incorporated on July 13, 1964, under its previous name Domus (Italian Tiles and Decor Centre) Limited. It later became part of Headlam Group, one of Britain's biggest flooring distributors, and was one of Headlam's wholly-owned subsidiaries before its administration.
Headlam itself entered administration in September, with administrators exploring options for the group and its businesses. Interpath initially continued trading the wider business while considering restructuring options, including a possible Company Voluntary Arrangement. However, administrators later said a sale of certain parts of the business and its assets represented the best and most deliverable outcome for creditors.
New ownership and related deals
Domus Group London Limited, the new owner, was only incorporated on October 1. Companies House records show Jonathan Newey, Anthony Wrinch and Erik Castenskiold each have significant control of the new business. The administration was filed in the High Court of Justice Business and Property Division Insolvency and Companies List in Manchester.
The sale of Domus came alongside a separate pre-pack deal involving another Headlam subsidiary, Melrose Interiors Limited. Melrose, based in Bradford and specialising in rugs and other flooring products, was sold to the Jain family group of UK distribution companies. A total of 35 Melrose employees transferred as part of that transaction, but Melrose's Spectrum business unit was not included in the deal, resulting in 19 redundancies.
Combined with the 112 jobs protected at Domus, the two deals secured 147 jobs.
