Specialist gas firm collapses after four decades as 22 staff lose jobs

Wednesday, 14 May 2025 21:46

By David Murphy

Hospital Pipeline Installations shuts down with immediate effect following financial pressure and low-margin contracts

A well-established medical gas pipeline company with offices in Rochdale and Scotland has gone into administration after 41 years in business, resulting in 22 redundancies.

Hospital Pipeline Installations Limited (HPI), headquartered in Paisley with a secondary site in Rochdale, ceased trading this week after a combination of rising costs, reduced demand, and cash flow difficulties made operations unsustainable.

Blair Milne and James Fennessey, partners at business advisory firm Azets, have been appointed joint administrators. Only three staff have been retained to help manage the administration process and secure company assets.

Founded in 1984, HPI specialised in the design, installation and maintenance of gas pipelines for the medical, dental, laboratory and industrial sectors. The firm served clients across the UK, including NHS Health Boards, and at its peak employed 25 staff with a turnover of £3 million.

Administrators confirmed that efforts had been made by company directors to return the business to profitability, but continued losses and mounting creditor pressure left them with no choice but to file for administration.

Blair Milne said: “HPI was a highly regarded specialist providing essential services to hospitals and dental practices across the country. Unfortunately, the company faced a combination of operational and financial challenges.”

He added: “Our focus now is to support affected employees and liaise with the Redundancy Payments Office and support agencies such as PACE. We are also marketing the company’s assets and encourage interested parties to contact Azets in Glasgow.”

Staff affected by the closure are being offered assistance with redundancy claims and guidance on available employment support.