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- Norville Group enters into administration
Norville Group enters into administration
Administrators have been appointed for the optical supplier, with 134 employees made redundant
06 July 2020
Optical manufacturer, The Norville Group, has gone into administration, with 134 employees being made redundant.
The Gloucestershire-based company has sites in Bolton, Seaham and Livingston.
Business restructuring partners, Simon Girling and Christopher Marsden of the accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO, were appointed joint administrators of the company on 3 July.
The Norville Group employed 162 staff across four sites in the UK. BDO confirmed that 134 employees have been made redundant, while a skeleton staff of 28 people have remained to help wind up the business, including completing orders already in progress.
The confirmation comes a week after the news that the retail division of the group, Norville Opticians, was saved from administration in a sale to the Hakim Group.
In a statement, BDO confirmed the completion of the sale to the Hakim Group on 22 June, in which Mr Girling explained that “difficult trading conditions were exacerbated by COVID-19 and the ensuing longer term cash flow issues.”
As a separate business, Norville’s manufacturing laboratory was not included in the agreement with the Hakim Group.
The administrators are inviting offers for residual parts of the Norville Group business and assets from interested parties.
Mr Girling commented: “Unfortunately the ongoing economic climate and difficult trading conditions meant that we were unable to sell the business as a whole. However, we are hopeful of securing a sale of parts of the business and associated assets and would encourage interested parties to get in touch.”
In a letter to customers seen by OT, the Norville chairman, Frank Norville, thanked customers for their “long support” for the company, adding “I am sorry to inflict this difficulty on your team but we have been shocked by the total lack of financial support from anywhere.”
Alongside producing a range of lenses and supplying lens brands, the Norville Group supplies eyewear brands including Barbour, Barbour International, Dana Buchman, Duck & Cover, Progear and Racing Green. The manufacturer also produced a number of in-house brands including Superlite and Blitz Kids, in addition to a range of safety eyewear and sports prescription frames.
The industry responds: “A sad day for optics”
Many practitioners shared stories of taking their formative steps into optics with Norville, launching into fruitful manufacturing careers or pouring over catalogues while studying. While others called the manufacturer their “go-to,” particularly for challenging orders.
Meanwhile, several commenters, including optical suppliers, emphasised the importance of supporting independent laboratories.
Commenting on the announcement, AOP Councillor, Stewart Mitchell, told OT: “Norville was the ‘go to’ lab for any really complex glazing jobs. But with modern free-form lens manufacturing, the smaller independent labs can now compete to do the complex things in-house.
“It’s sad to see it entering administration and I hope it will survive in some form.”
Practice director and AOP Councillor, Tushar Majithia, said “It is sad to see a business with a long history in the optical industry go out of business.”
“I have many friends and colleagues who valued the service and technical support provided by Norville who will be disheartened by the news and left having to source an alternative supplier with the same level of service,” he added.
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PSM09 July 2020
So sad. No wonder I could not get through on the phone this week.
When we flooded in Cockermouth in 2009 Frank offered practical support from Bolton - and a couple of bottles of wine. We met in 1959 in Northampton College of Science & Technology's Optometry course. Been in touch ever since, and also grateful for his support for VAO over the years.
In our business, Norvilles were always a source of "the impossible" lenses.
Philip Heal
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Anonymous07 July 2020
A sad loss to optics Norville are a unique company producing lenses no one else will be able to produce so the end user now will suffer
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