Kettle Interiors makes 165 Corby workers redundant as furniture firm goes into administration

An ailing Corby business shut its doors and told most of its 165 staff members they were immediately out of a job on Friday (March 24).

Shocked workers at Kettle Interiors in Macadam Road were given the devastating news during a meeting at 10.30am and had to vacate the premises after administrators took over the running of the company. Some had been with Kettle’s for more than a decade.

The family-run firm has been in business for more than 30 years and has been based in Corby for at least 18 years.

But yesterday its HQ remained locked-up with only a security firm on site to protect the buildings.

The company operates two warehouses in Macadam Road in Corby as well as off-site storage facilities.

Through its Guernsey arm Kettle Interiors Direct, it is also believed to operate a large factory in Binh Duong, Vietnam where products are made before they are shipped to the UK. Up to 1,000 workers are employed there. The fate of that site is unknown.

Kettle’s sells its furniture under a number of brands including Mambo and Mint to retailers across the UK and Europe.

Managing director John Kettle sadly died after a period of illness last year but his sons and wife remained at the helm.

The family also separately owns the former Rutland Cinema in Rockingham Road, Corby, which is used as a furniture outlet store for their products. That business is believed to be unaffected.

It’s thought Glasgow-based Begbies Traynor have taken over the running of the company during the administration period while options for its future can be explored.

The Northants Telegraph has been unable to contact anyone at the company or the administrators over the weekend. Phones appear to have been disconnected.

Rumours of financial issues had been swirling for several weeks and some HGV drivers were given notice back in February amid talk of high debt levels at the company. The firm had been trying to turn around its fortunes in recent weeks with the sale of its Macadam Road HQ for £7.25m back in January to an investor, who then leased back the building to Kettle’s.

Company accounts filed in October 2021 show that the firm had a huge boost in sales during the pandemic and turned over £24m, with a pre-tax operating profit of nearly £900k.

However, since then the furniture business around the world has been severely impacted by rocketing shipping costs that Kettle’s had been unable to absorb. An insider told this newspaper there also thought there had been quality control issues and returns were higher than normal, leaving the company fighting financial implosion.

Leader of Corby Town Council Cllr Mark Pengelly raised the Kettle’s closure with Labour’s shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds over the weekend.

Cllr Pengelly said: “This is terrible news for many long term and short-term loyal members of staff.”

Mr Reynolds said he was saddened by the job losses, adding: “Labour’s new policy – A New Deal for the Working People – that the trade unions have signed up to will bring more protection for staff when a Labour government is in power.”

Corby has been hit by a series of damaging job losses since Christmas.

- 607 employees were made redundant when Orchard House Foods closed, with up to a further 400 agency workers put out of work

- 268 jobs were put under consultation when Aldi pulled its delivery contract with iForce.

- Around 63 jobs were lost when Body Shop At Home shut down its Corby operation.

- Up to 30 jobs were put at risk at Cambridge Weight Plan.

- And 93 staff lost their jobs when Berry Superfos closed its Corby operation.

The job losses at Kettle’s bring the total to around 1,700 in Corby in just three months, a significant proportion of the town’s total warehousing jobs.