A protest is underway today at the gates of Nu-Track, a company based in the Galgorm area of Ballymena, after staff members were told they had lost their jobs last week.
It is understood a meeting was called with the workforce on Thursday (22 September) when a senior member of the team, Trevor Scroggie, told workers that all hourly workers were being laid off.
Nu-Track which has only one director, named on Companies House as Robert Shiels, son-in-law of former Wrightbus owner Jeff Wright, in recent days has placed a black holding screen on the business website, while a Facebook business page has been removed.
A letter seen by Love Ballymena, purported to be from Nu-Track Director Rob Shiels, although we have not been able to verify this yet, states:
"To All Staff
"It is with deepest regret that we give notice to all staff and employees of the permanent closure of the company effective 22nd September 2022.
"As a result of this commercial decision, all persons employed are herein given notice of their redundancy effective of the above date.
"All employees will be paid their full owing wages including holiday pay on Thursday 29 September 2022. Redundancy pay is owing to those employees that are applicable.
"The appointed Insolvency Practitioner will be in direct contact with everyone to assist in their obtaining the relevant payment. We have already been in communication with the insolvency practitioner, and we expect to have their confirmation of their willingness to represent the company withing the next 24-48 hours at which point we will notify all employees of the relevant person to communicate with.
"We are also deeply saddened to be in this difficult circumstance, and we recognise the difficulty this unavoidable situation has caused our people. Rob Shiels"
In the business' last set of accounts, it had a workforce of 65 employees.
Love Ballymena reached out to Nu-Track last week for comment but to date the company has refused to provide any statement.
Meanwhile, a new private limited company has been set up recently, named NuQuest Ltd, registered on 27 August 2022, with the named director as Trevor James Scroggie. Further searches reveal a number of companies have also been set up with Rob Shiels as the named director. Ulster Industries Limited were incorporated on 30 June 2022.