Emergency vehicle maker closes, with 157 jobs lost

A firm that makes vehicles for the emergency services has gone into administration.

O&H Vehicle Conversions Limited, based in Goole, East Yorkshire, specialised in making both NHS and private ambulances and rapid response vehicles for the police.

Administrators BDO confirmed that operations have ceased and 157 employees have been made redundant with immediate effect.

Mark Thornton, of BDO, said: "It is always a sad day when a longstanding business is forced to close. Given the financial position and outlook for the company, securing a sale of the business as a going concern was not possible."

The administrators said they were appointed on 13 February due to the company facing "financial pressures affecting the wider vehicle conversion industry."

They added the firm had "suffered from delivery delays which further impacted income and cashflow" and they were left with no alternative but to place the company into administration.

Thornton said: "The priority will now be to support employees impacted by the closure and realise assets in line with our duties in order to maximise the return for creditors."

On its Facebook page, the firm described itself as having 37 years in the industry and said its site in Goole was "home to the UK's most experienced team of emergency vehicle manufacturers".

In 2022, the company, which was formally known as Venari Group Limited, transformed dozens of vehicles into military grade ambulances and shipped them to Ukraine.

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