Britannia AuctionsComplete site dispersal auctions in Stoke-on-Trent
A ceramics factory is a particular kind of site to clear. Kilns, some of them the length of a building. Presses, jiggers and casting lines. Glaze plant, spray booths and mould stores with thousands of plaster moulds on racking. A slip house with blungers and pumps. Then the ordinary parts of any factory, the compressors, the forklifts, the packing line, the offices and the canteen.
We sell all of it in one online timed auction and manage the site until it is empty. Access is the first thing we look at. The estates across the six towns vary, so we measure vehicle access and the turning circle, the loading facilities, the door openings and the floor levels on our first visit, and what we find goes in the catalogue.
Plastics, engineering and building products sites get the same treatment. Tell us what the site holds and the date it has to be clear.
Kilns, moulds and the plant that supports them
Kilns are the lots that need the most thought. A modern intermittent kiln is worth a proper listing, with the make, the chamber size, the fuel and the controls, because another potter or a materials firm prices it from that. A tunnel kiln built into the fabric of the building may be worth more as scrap and refractory than as a unit, and we will say so rather than list it as though it were a working unit. Either way the buyer's crew dismantles it under a method we approve.
Mould stores divide opinion. Plaster moulds for a discontinued range have little value, but the racking they sit on does, and case moulds and master models can be of interest to buyers who want to continue a line. We go through it with you.
Glaze plant, spray booths, presses and casting benches are lotted for the trade in the six towns and beyond, and bidding runs online and is open to tile, sanitaryware and technical ceramics firms across the UK.
Working the collection window in an agreed order
Etruria Valley, Trentham Lakes, Fenton and the trade parks at Tunstall and Parkhall sit close to the A500, which reaches the M6 at junction 15 or 16, and the A50 runs east to Uttoxeter and Derby. What each yard and door takes is measured at the site visit, and the collection order is then agreed with you rather than set to a standard pattern.
The order usually puts the riggers first, then the racking crews, then the vans. Electrical and gas disconnection is by qualified people before anything is lifted, and a kiln is left to cool fully before the buyer's crew starts.
The trade in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford, Crewe, Leek, Kidsgrove and Congleton is near enough to view in person, and bidding is online and open nationally. Racking and forklifts from the logistics sheds along the A500 are lotted for operators who run the same kit.
What these sales can include
- Complete production lines
- CNC lathes and machining centres
- Presses, guillotines and folders
- Overhead cranes and hoists
- Compressors and air receivers
- Forklift trucks
- Racking and storage systems
- Tooling, spares and consumables
- Inspection and test equipment
- Welding and fabrication equipment
- Office furniture and IT equipment
- Canteen and welfare equipment
- Vehicles and trailers
The auction
The sale runs as an online timed auction, open for bidding for a fixed period with a viewing day at the site before the close. Lots close in sequence, and a late bid extends the closing time for that lot so nobody is beaten by the clock. Bidders register online, and the sale is advertised to the trade for that type of equipment.
Lots are offered as seen under the auction terms, and buyers are expected to inspect before bidding. The buyer pays the hammer price plus a buyer's premium, with VAT charged where it applies and shown separately on the invoice. Once paid, the buyer collects within the agreed window. Our staff are on site throughout collection to check off each lot and control access.
For very large sites the sale may be split into two or more auctions, so the building empties in stages and production can continue in one area while another is cleared.
The complete site dispersal auctions page covers what a site dispersal involves, preparing the site, removal and heavy lifting, timescales and what to expect.
Questions about selling in Stoke-on-Trent
- Our kiln has to be dismantled and the building made good. Does the buyer do that?
The buyer's crew dismantles and removes the kiln under a method statement we approve, and leaves the area safe. Making good the building, filling pits and patching walls, is usually a matter between you and the landlord and is best done once the last lot has gone. We note in the catalogue what the buyer is responsible for, so there is no argument on the day. If the kiln is fixed to the building in a way that makes removal impractical, we say so before the sale.
- We still have finished stock and raw materials on site. Can they go in the same sale?
Yes. Finished tableware, tiles or sanitaryware sell in pallet lots to retailers, wholesalers and online sellers, and raw materials such as clay, glaze and packaging go to other manufacturers. We lot them at the end of the catalogue so they leave after the plant. The only caution is branded stock, where a licence or a customer's rights may limit who can buy it. Tell us and we will check before listing.
More questions about site dispersals
Related services
Guides
- Auction or private treaty: which route to choose
Auction gives you a fixed date and an open market. Private treaty gives you a negotiated price and privacy. This guide sets out when each route suits, what you give up with each, and why many sales use both.
- Closing a business: a timeline for selling the assets
Work backwards from the day you hand the site over. This guide covers lease end and dilapidations, when to instruct, when staff should leave, when to keep the power on, and how to leave enough room for collection and making good.
- What insolvency practitioners need from an auctioneer
For office holders realising physical assets. Covers the instruction letter, the asset schedule and valuation basis, retention of title, finance checks, site security, health and safety during the sale, and the reconciliation you need for the file.