The Stoke-on-Trent and Warrington-based groundworks specialist employed more than 400 staff and subcontractors, operating across housing developments in the Midlands and North West. The business reported revenues of £58m for the year ending March 2025.
Administrators from PKF Littlejohn Advisory UK LLP were appointed on Thursday after efforts to stabilise the company’s financial position failed to identify a sustainable path forward.
Paul Smith, a partner at PKF Littlejohn, said the contractor had been impacted by the same pressures affecting much of the wider construction industry.
He said: “The construction sector has experienced prolonged challenging trading conditions, driven by rising costs, project delays and broader market uncertainty. These factors intensified at Caldwell in recent weeks, placing severe pressure on cashflow and day-to-day operations.”
Smith added that advisers had worked closely with the company’s management team over a number of months to explore potential rescue and refinancing options, but no viable solution could be secured that would avoid a formal insolvency process.
Joint administrator Oliver Collinge said the decision to enter administration was not taken lightly.
He said: “Caldwell’s directors have made the difficult decision to place the business into administration. Our immediate priority is to support employees and key stakeholders while we review the company’s financial position and assess its assets.”
The administration comes amid continued difficulties for groundworks and civil engineering contractors, as payment delays, rising input costs and slower project delivery continue to squeeze margins across the housebuilding supply chain.