All 128 staff at Liverpool M&E contractor HE Simm have been made redundant after the firm finally lost its two-year battle to stay afloat.

Chief executive Gareth Simm confirmed administrators were called in yesterday, drawing a line under more than seven decades of family ownership.

He said the family run contractor was felled by a perfect storm of setbacks, including the collapse of a key client, project delays and losses on London jobs.

Simm said: “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 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.

“These have included a combination of factors; failure of a key client; the loss of a number of projects; delays to major schemes; increasingly commercially challenging client behaviours and losses on London projects. Some of these challenges have been ongoing for a number of years.

“As shareholders, and a family, we have fought very hard, and invested heavily over the last two years in an attempt to avoid today’s outcome, but in the end the harsh reality of the construction industry, the tight margins we operate at and the pressures as described, left us with no choice but to appoint administrators.

“We would like to take this opportunity to heartfeltly thank our dedicated colleagues for their unwavering commitment to HE Simm over the years.

“It might sound cliché but genuinely, our family was bigger than the Simm family. To say that it will be missed is an understatement.

“We would also like to thank our valued customers and suppliers for their ongoing patience and support, many of whom did everything they could to help us avoid the position we now find ourselves in, for which we will always be eternally grateful.”

Forvis Mazars partners Patrick Lannagan, Adam Harris and Richard Hough have been appointed as joint administrators.

Hough said: “Regrettably, following a review of the financial circumstances of the company the administrators have made the difficult decision to make all employees redundant with immediate effect.

“The Administrators are seeking contact from parties who may have an interest in acquiring the assets of the company, including existing customer contracts.”