Sara Davies' Crafter's Companion enters liquidation, all 58 staff redundant

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 15:30 · Archive

All 58 staff at Sara Davies' Crafter's Companion have been made redundant after the County Durham craft firm entered liquidation.

All 58 staff at Crafter's Companion, the craft business founded by Dragons' Den star Sara Davies, have been made redundant after the company entered liquidation. The 42 workers at the Newton Aycliffe headquarters in County Durham and 16 at its Evesham store in Worcestershire were told of the closure face-to-face on 19 October.

The liquidation followed months of upheaval at the firm, including previous job losses and a warehouse closure, as well as negotiations with Gemporia, a jewellery and craft retailer that was one of Crafter's Companion's biggest UK customers. Sara Davies said the company wanted to merge with Gemporia, but Gemporia's board found that 'the best way forward was to continue with one trading entity, so they no longer needed the Crafter's Companion name'.

Davies, who founded the business while studying at university in 2005, said she had worked to stabilise the company since returning a year ago. She described the decision as happening 'very, very quickly' and said she chose to tell staff personally rather than have them hear about the closure elsewhere, describing the experience as particularly difficult given their long service.

The closure marks the end of a business Davies built from her university studies into a significant operation with multiple sites across the country before the recent difficulties that led to liquidation.

How it is being reported

• Sara Davies breaks silence as all staff lose jobs at craft firm she foundedAll staff at Sara Davies' Crafter's Companion have been made redundant after the County Durham company entered liquidation following talks with Gemporia.Cumberland News · 23 Oct, 15:00
• Sara Davies breaks silence as all staff lose jobs at craft firm she foundedAll staff at Sara Davies' Crafter's Companion have been made redundant after the County Durham company entered liquidation following talks with Gemporia.NW Evening Mail · 23 Oct, 15:00
• Sara Davies breaks silence as all staff lose jobs at craft firm she foundedAll staff at Sara Davies' Crafter's Companion have been made redundant after the County Durham company entered liquidation following talks with Gemporia.Westmorland Gazette · 23 Oct, 15:00

In this story: Sara Davies · Crafter's Companion · Gemporia · Newton Aycliffe · County Durham · Evesham

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