Groundworks and civils contractor Caldwell Construction has formally entered administration after mounting cashflow pressures proved too severe to overcome.

The Stoke-on-Trent and Warrington-based groundworks specialist employed more than 400 staff and subbies working on housing sites across the Midlands and North West  delivering £58m revenue for the year to March 2025.

Administrators from PKF Littlejohn Advisory UK LLP were appointed today after attempts to stabilise the company’s finances failed to secure a viable route forward.

Paul Smith, a partner at PKF Littlejohn, said the contractor had been hit by the same pressures bearing down on much of the construction sector.

He said: “The construction sector has faced challenging trading conditions over recent years, including increasing costs, delays to schemes and wider market uncertainty. These pressures were exacerbated at Caldwell in recent weeks, placing significant strain on cashflow and operations.”

Smith added that advisers had worked closely with Caldwell’s management team over several months to explore potential rescue options, but no solution could be found that avoided an insolvency process.

Joint administrator Oliver Collinge said the decision to enter administration had not been taken lightly.

He said: “The directors at Caldwell have taken the difficult decision to place the company into administration. Our immediate focus is now on supporting employees and stakeholders while we assess the position of the business and its assets.”

The appointment follows a tough period for groundworks and civils contractors, with payment delays, cost inflation and scheme slowdowns continuing to squeeze margins across the housebuilding supply chain.