'Let me take on Sheffield's 250 Carillion call centre staff whose jobs hang in the balance'

A Sheffield telemarketing boss wants to save the jobs of 250 call centre workers whose roles are at risk following the collapse of Carillion.
Anthony HinchliffeAnthony Hinchliffe
Anthony Hinchliffe

Anthony Hinchliffe, CEO of Ant Marketing which has offices at Victoria Quays and St Mary's Gate, is hopeful he can take on the firm's staff and keep important contracts in the city.

Carillion, the construction and facilities management firm, has gone into liquidation after it went out of business with debts of £1bn and a £580m pension deficit. Banks had refused to lend any more money.

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Experts have warned all 20,000 UK workers will probably lose their jobs and hundreds of supply chain firms are to go bust.

The company has a call centre at Broad Street West, beside Park Square roundabout. Earlier this week staff were verbally warned their jobs were at risk but told they would be paid in January and to carry on as usual.

Mr Hinchliffe said Carillion's clients in Sheffield included transport firm Arriva and utilities supplier Centrica.

"Because it's gone into liquidation there's not much time to try and hold that team together and retain those contracts in Sheffield," he said.

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"It's not like an administration or receivership where they will try to sell the company as a going concern."

He said he also wanted to take on the lease on the Broad Street West building.

It is understood Carillion's Government contracts are being picked up by taxpayers, but Mr Hinchliffe said he 'wouldn't have thought' these would include the call centre work. He said he had spoken to liquidators PWC and was 'anxious' to hear more from them.

"I'm confident," he said. "I think this is a great solution for everybody. We can take on the staff on their existing contracts, take over the building and the IT. We could work on that very quickly."

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He added: "PWC have got an awful lot to resolve. I don't think this is a huge priority for them but it really is for the 250 Sheffield staff. I want to retain this award-winning team before it gets fragmented. There is a solution here. All is not lost."

As well as the Sheffield call centre, Carillion is also involved in the Sheffield-Rotherham tram-train and phase two of the link road to Doncaster Sheffield Airport. Up to 43,000 jobs are at risk worldwide.