Liverpool family-owned M&E engineering firm HE Simm collapsed owing almost £21.4m to creditors, a report by administrators reveals – and they will likely receive nothing. Tony McDonough reports
HE Simm owed almost £21.4m to unsecured creditors when it collapsed in September 2025, an administrators’ report has revealed.
Patrick Lannagan and Richard Hough of Forvis Mazars, joint administrators of the Liverpool family M&E engineering firm, have posted an update on the affairs of the business on Companies House.
They reveal unsecured creditors are owed almost £21.4m. The bulk of this amount, more than £18.8m, is owed to trade creditors with a further £2.3m owed to employees and around £240,000 to HMRC. However, cash at hand totals just under £270,000.
The administrators said in the report: “Assuming the realisations and expenses are as expected, it is unlikely that there will be a return to unsecured creditors due to insufficient funds.”
On the day of the administration all 127 employees of the 77-year-old business were made redundant with immediate effect. Administrators also identified a further 30 people employed by a separate entity – HE Simm Group – and they were also made redundant.
Founded in 1948, HE Simm provided engineering services to the construction industry. One of its more recent high profile projects was for developer X1 at Manchester Waters.
In its most recent annual accounts for the 17 months to December 31, 2023, posted on Companies House, HE Simm revealed pre-tax losses of more than £10m and revenues of more than £118m.
In the previous year it had reported a pre-tax profit of almost £900,000. In the report it said: “The company was significantly impacted by high inflation pressures on fixed price contracts while also experiencing performance issues on a number of legacy projects located in London.”
HE Simm was founded in 1948 by Ernie Simm after he acquired George Hockenhall Plumbing in Liverpool with a loan of £200. He renamed the business in honour of his father Harold Edgar.
Chief executive Gareth Simm, grandson of the founder, spoke about how he and his fellow directors and family members had battled to save the business. In the last accounts they pledged to inject a further £4m into the firm.
“Since the company was founded in 1948, HE Simm has been built on the talent, hard work and loyalty of its people,” said Gareth in September.
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“Over the decades we have delivered countless landmark projects together not only in the North West but all over the UK, including London. We are very proud of our reputation for excellence and quality and for always ensuring that our culture and values were at the heart of everything we did.
“Sadly, recent circumstances have placed enormous pressure on the business that we have been unable to withstand.”