Most of Rabeys Garage staff laid off as firm goes under

Interpath Advisory and KPMG Advisory were appointed as joint liquidators. They are already handling Garenne’s liquidation.

Shellshocked staff left the company's base at Northside, Vale, last night having just been called into a meeting where they learned of their fate.

Ben Jackson had worked at the company for 14 years, 12 as a mechanic and two as a parts manager.

He said the lack of clarity between higher management and the employees was what angered him most.

‘We’d heard rumours for the past couple of weeks but the directors kept telling us everything was fine,’ he said.

‘We got called in for a meeting at 4pm and I just had in my head that something wasn’t right. That’s when we found out we were being made redundant. My first thought was for the people who are living week-to-week on their wages. What will they do?

‘There’s someone here who’s been told he now has to clear 37 years-worth of his stuff over a few days and then find somewhere to put it.’

Andy Neilson had been working at Rabey’s just under two years and said the news had shaken him up.

‘I’m gutted, we got led to believe everything’s good and then this happens,’ he said.

‘I’m a little bit hesitant about the future but I’ll get back out there and finish my apprenticeship.'

Liquidators said they would keep a few staff on briefly to assist with certain administrative tasks.

Geoff Jacobs from Interpath Advisory said the liquidators would seek to ensure the optimum outcome for creditors and support employees.

The immediate priority for the liquidators is to assist employees and creditors to submit their claims.

Rabeys was established in 1976 and for more than 40 years had operated one of Guernsey’s largest vehicle fleet sales and maintenance businesses.

The liquidators said that the performance of the company had improved in recent years, but the impact of economic headwinds including major supply chain issues, rising energy and parts prices, and rising interest rates, meant its financial position had declined irretrievably in recent months.

Seeking alternative funding was explored before directors agreed to cease trading.

Yesterday another Garenne group businesses – stonemason Granite Le Pelley – confirmed that it was actively pursuing a management buyout. It operates a range of specialist services like cladding, landscaping and restoration.

Managing director Richard Breban said that the company was still solvent and trading, and expected to complete the buyout in the next few days.

Mr Breban thanked staff and employees for their loyalty and patience.

Amalgamated Facilities Management, another Garenne company, is already pursuing its own management buyout.

The Guernsey Building Trades Employers Association has said that it was shocked and saddened to hear about Garenne going into liquidation.

In a statement, GBTEA secretary and treasurer Brian Singleton also acknowledged Granite Le Pelley and AFM’s respective decisions to pursue management buyouts.

‘We sincerely hope those negotiations are successful and that the existing management teams remain in post and all personnel remaining employed,’ he said.