Published: Thursday, 8th January, 2009 11:15am

Jobs shock as store shuts

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ONE of Helensburgh"s oldest businesses has closed its doors after more than 100 years trading - making more than 12 people redundant.

Quorum Carpets Ltd, of 29 James Street, ceased trading on New Year"s Eve and called in the receivers, KLM Chartered Accountants of Glasgow.

Their staff of between 12 and 15 people were told that morning they would not be coming back to work after the New Year festivities.

One of them, carpet fitter Robert Begg (39), has worked for the company since he left Hermitage Academy in March 1986, and he said: 'When we went in to work on the 31st we were told that someone would be coming in that day to have a last look at the figures and to decide whether the company would be able to continue trading.

'The answer was that they couldn"t continue so they closed the curtains and we were handed our P45s. It came out of the blue and everyone was just shell-shocked. I don"t think it has fully sunk in yet and I am still suffering from total numbness. It is such a shame for everyone, the bosses and the workers.'

Kenneth LeMay of KLM, whose uncle was the well known Helensburgh chemist Arthur LeMay, said: 'The shop has closed and all the staff have been paid off.

'We are preparing a statement of affairs to be presented at a creditors" meeting and we will be in Helensburgh this week for a stock-taking to assess what assets there are.

'They called a halt very quickly so now we have to see what is left in the pot.

'There are a lot of redundancy claims to be settled and quite a few long-serving staff involved.'

A creditors" meeting is being held at KLM"s office at 45 Hope Street, Glasgow, at 10am on January 19. Anyone who has any claim on the company is invited to attend.

Phone calls to Quorum this week were answered with a message directing callers to KLM.

Quorum Carpets started life as Kerr"s of Helensburgh in 1903 and was founded, pretty much where it is now, by Tommy Kerr.