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Creation Date: Tue, 14 Feb 2012 GMT Famous builder Kell & Rigby goes to the wallThe crisis at Kell & Rigby, a family firm established in 1910, left at least seven major projects unfinished and potentially affecting more than 50 small businesses. The company - which had worked on the War Memorial in Hyde Park and the renovation of Sydney Town Hall and has 70 full-time staff and more than 400 sub-contractors - also had a number of projects operating under its subsidiary, Brisland. Brisland had been building substations at Gordon and Leichhardt, a carpark in Mt Druitt, a library and convention centre in Bankstown and had work at a university in Newcastle. Kell & Rigby CEO James Kell, whose great-grandfather founded the firm, said they suspended work to "re-evaluate the financial position of our company". "I'm fairly hopeful we can work out a solution," he said. "We were negotiating with a partner on a restructuring deal and yesterday (Wednesday) things changed so we had to be prudent and re-evaluate. "Many of our people have been with the firm for many decades. I think the world of them and I want to make sure they are looked after." The company had been negotiating with a partnership of Chinese investors and Australian firm FKP Property Group since November with the aim of them taking control of the company. Angry sub-contractors converged on the company's South Strathfield head office yesterday, demanding payment. One subbie said he was owed $30,000 and went to the office after his calls were not returned. Another, Phil McClintock, who has worked as a skilled labourer with the company for 12 years, said he received a call from a colleague saying workers had been told to pack up his gear and leave the site. "We've got a lot of older guys who will struggle to find work ... it's not looking too promising for us if we do go under," he said. "They've been a really good company for us over the years. It's just pretty hard. We all feel like we're part of the family. Most of the guys have stayed at the company for years." CFMEU NSW state secretary Brian Parker said more than 50 small businesses and contractors could feel the effects of the Kell & Rigby's closure. "When this happens to a company like this, which has more than 100 years experience, it's a domino effect," he said. Mr Parker added the state government had a lot to answer for because it had not delivered on infrastructure projects. ""Barry O'Farrell talks big but delivers little," he said. "You've got a NSW builder that's created jobs, decent trades for a lot of people, but now they've gone down the gurgler. They've had very little help from Barry O'Farrell." Federal Employment Minister Bill Shorten said he was concerned for the affected families.
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