by Hayley Robinson

Dozens of people have lost their jobs less than five months after a family firm was sold off.

Jim Dodd, whose grandfather started the Dodd’s Group 100 years ago, sold the business on April 21.

But on Friday administrators were appointed to 21st Century Logistics, the operating company of the Dodd’s Group, resulting in the loss of 80 jobs from its Sittingbourne base on the Eurolink Business Park.

A further 10 people lost their jobs at the Sheffield depot.

Staff were laid off immediately, but it is understood six senior staff members are staying on at the Sittingbourne site to work with administrators to wind down the business.

Former managing director David Pink claims that he was in negotiations last Thursday to take the business over, but the deal collapsed.

Mr Dodd says he is devastated the company has gone into administration.

He said: "It’s unbelievable. I went down to the yard on Wednesday, it’s like a graveyard, the wagons are just standing there. I’m really upset.

"It’s all my former staff, some of those people have worked there for 30 years or more, it’s all wrong. What could I do though? It wasn’t under my control.

"I don’t understand what happened to get to this position.

"I sold it because I thought it was going to be built back up to its former glory by the new owner.

"I had 175 trucks when we were at the paper mill eight years ago but we only had 60 when I handed it over. At one time we even employed 350 people.

"I’d like to thank all the staff there, they were all great dedicated people."

The Dodd’s Group grew over the years by acquiring other haulage companies.

It had specialist experience in logistics for the industrial, food, grocery and high value goods sectors.

The latest jobs toll adds to unemployment woe in Swale.

In July the number of people claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance in the borough rose by 96 to 3,134.

MP Gordon Henderson said: "I don’t know the circumstances of why the company had gone into administration, but I suspect some of it is to do with the fuel prices and having to compete with foreign haulage companies.

"I will continue to pressure the government to take some action that foreign hauliers have to pay to use our roads."

Joint administrators Paul Williams and Jason Godefroy, partners at MCR, are seeking buyers for the company’s assets.

They are still trying to establish the extent of the firm’s debts. Mr Godefroy said: "The company had been suffering from a lack of working capital as a result of severe cash flow problems heightened by the current economic climate.

"There is no doubt that the difficult trading environment over the past 12 months has played a significant part in the demise of the company.

"The administrators have had no choice but to wind down operations with immediate effect and actively market such assets that are available to maximise a return for creditors."