News

Leeds-based Macfarlane Transport Holdings has gone into administration with the loss of 300 jobs.

The company blames the decision to cease trading on rising fuel prices and an increasingly competitive market. Administrators from KPMG say the company's profit margins had come under "unsustainable pressure".

Attempts were made to sell Macfarlane as a going concern, but to no avail.

Macfarlane Transport Holdings was created when businessman Stephen Cooke bought the assets of Macfarlane Transport out of administration in 2006.

Formerly a part of the Jigsaw consortium, it has since seen its share of Jigsaw work diminish. Jigsaw commercial director Andy Humpherson says: "The links with Macfarlane have really watered down since the new management [Cooke] took over. They tried to run the business in their own way and some liked it, some didn't.

"We gave them a period of time to improve their service and commitment to Jigsaw, and over the last couple of months they appeared to have turned it around."

The firm ran more than 100 trucks.