The tough economic conditions continue to bite, as Oakworth Joinery in Keighley has gone into administration, putting 170 jobs at risk.

Oakworth Joinery has traded since 1965 in the West Yorkshire area, being one of the UK’s biggest independent timber window and door manufacturers.

Oakworth’s administrator John Russell confirmed that there had been a buyer for the joinery company, but that deal had fallen through.

The double glazing industry in the West Yorkshire area has been hit particularly hard in recent years. A well over-saturated market was hit hard by the recession and left far too many companies scrambling for thinner slices of the market in that area. Eventually, these scrappy trading conditions have started to take it’s toll. Working in the West Yorkshire area, I fear that from the feedback I’m getting from other companies, there may well be many more companies to go within the West Yorkshire area.

A company that is 47 years old in this industry is pretty much ancient. I sincerely hope that a buyer can be found for the joinery company soon, before 170 more jobs are added to the fenestration scrap pile.