CF Booth administration: Fears for 200 jobs as historic Rotherham firm CF Booth enters administration
Around 200 jobs are under threat after a historic Rotherham metal recycling firm entered administration following the death of director and owner Ken Booth.
CF Booth filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators on January 16, 2026, with James Ronald Alexander Lumb and Howard Smith of Interpath Advisory appointed as joint administrators, according to a notice published in The London Gazette.
Administration is a legal process used when a company is in serious financial difficulty, allowing independent specialists to take control to try to save, sell or restructure the business. While it does not automatically mean closure, jobs can be at risk.
Founded in the 1920s, the family-run business grew from a small local scrap trader into one of the largest independently run metal recycling companies in Europe, employing generations of Rotherham families.
Its main site, Clarence Metal Works, near the Rotherham Ring Road, has long been part of the town’s industrial landscape.
The news prompted an outpouring of reaction on social media, with tributes focusing on the workforce and the firm’s wider impact.
The National Wagon Preservation Group said it was “sad news” that the company was winding down following the recent death of director Ken Booth.
“With 200 staff on the books and many more throughout the supply chain, it’s not a happy new year for them,” the group said in a post shared online.
“With a sympathetic attitude to preservation going back over half a century, there can’t be many preservation sites out there without some component or stock that was once a CF Booth asset.”
Others shared personal experiences of the workforce. One social media user wrote:
“Was there Thursday, was speaking to a forklift driver who’d been there nearly 50 years - he was gutted. Best forky that ever loaded me.”
Another highlighted wider industry pressures, saying:
“Very sad news for the employees at Booths. There’s a big upheaval in the scrap market in the UK at the moment.
“Demand has fluctuated massively and costs have soared. I can’t blame the family for calling it a day. Good luck to the workers in finding something else.”
A further comment described the closure as “devastating news for Rotherham”.
Tributes were also paid to Ken Booth personally.
One post read: “RIP Ken - a proper old-school gentleman.”
Alongside his role as a prominent metal businessman and former Rotherham United chairman, Mr Booth helped rescue the club from potential financial collapse in 1987 and remained in the role until December 2004.
In later years, he became closely involved in bringing Millmoor, the club’s former home, back into use, supporting work to refurbish facilities, clear the site and improve the pitch for local teams.
Earlier this year, he joined supporters at the Tivoli End for a re-recording of the club anthem Millermen, an event which raised thousands of pounds for Rotherham Hospice.
CF Booth specialised in buying and processing metals like steel, copper and aluminium, supplying manufacturers and recyclers across the UK.
The move into administration follows financial losses for the company last year.
Administrators will now assess the future of the business and the potential impact on staff.