Cheesegrater 'mega-bolt' supplier enters then exits administration under old boss

The firm which supplied the bolts for the City’s Cheesegrater skyscraper has been put into administration and then immediately bought out again by a previous director.

The Cheesegrater’s building team — led by designers Arup and contractor Laing O’Rourke — is at present replacing dozens of the five-inch diameter bolts on the skyscraper after three of the bolts partially broke away because of weakness caused by “hydrogen embrittlement”.

The supplier of the bolts, Leeds-based Andrews Fasteners Ltd, was placed in administration on January 16 and immediately bought again by a new company, AFC Products Ltd: AFC Products Ltd then changed its name to Andrews Fasteners Ltd.

Companies House filings show Michael Carey is a director of the former Andrews and the “new” company, which he incorporated on December 11 last year — a month after the cracking problems with the bolts was first revealed by developer British Land.

Carey refused to comment on whether the restructuring of the business was linked to the problems with the Cheesegrater, but told the Construction Enquirer website that he was “in a much stronger position to take the business forward” following the move.

Carey’s legal representative added that “there is a potential litigation case behind the scenes”.

Severfield completed the steelwork on the skyscraper but lost millions on the project.

Despite the teething problems with the building, the Cheesegrater has signed up a host of new tenants in recent weeks, including the architectural practice of its designer, Lord Rogers.