BI Halder & Son Ltd had been providing service to the agricultural sector since the late 1960s
Scores of jobs have been saved in a deal to rescue longstanding haulage company BI Halder & Son Ltd, based near Driffield. The more than 50 year-old company called in administrators earlier this month having run into financial difficulties in the face of cost inflation in recent years.
The Cranswick Industrial Estate firm is said to have suffered pressure in the wake of the Covid pandemic, and amid the war in Ukraine which have led to increases in fuel and operating costs. Interest rate hikes also squeezed the business, creating challenges with cashflow.
Administrators from insolvency firm Leonard Curtis were appointed to the family firm this week after a refinance deal to solve the cashflow issues was not enough to save the business. A pre-packaged sale out of administration was agreed with Halder Transport & Storage Limited, also run by BI Halder directors Louise and Paul Halder, safeguarding 45 jobs.
Louise Halder said: “Our priority was to retain our loyal workforce and continue providing high quality haulage and storage services for our customers. Building in resilience for future challenges has also been important. She added: “While it has been devastating dealing with the loss of B I Halder & Son Ltd after nearly 25 years of operation and over 50 years since the business was first formed, we are all looking forward to a new chapter for Holder Transport & Storage Limited.”
BI Halder & Son Ltd was founded in 1969 by Brent and Ann Halder, who used one vehicle to make local grain deliveries. By 1979 they had added a second vehicle, and continued to expand from there – eventually ramping up to a fleet of 24 wagons operating across the country.
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In the early 1980s the firm developed storage facilities including drying and testing services with a capacity of 46,000 tonnes and comprising of silos of between 500 tonnes and 1,000 tonnes. Paul and Louise Halder acquired the business ten years ago in a management buyout.
Joint Administrator Sean Williams said: “BI Halder & Son Ltd had established a great reputation over five decades and by facilitating a successful sale we have protected jobs and maximized realisations for the company’s creditors.”
Having dealt with his third haulage business since May 2025, Mr Williams added that most SME hauliers are operating under strain. He added: “The sector remains essential and busy, but most are running businesses with higher operating costs, on thin margins, and a rising number of insolvencies indicate performance is fragile rather than robust.
“A minority of hauliers, those with strong contracts, niches, cleaner fleets or some digital advantage, are doing better. Overall, we should expect continued pressure and gradual consolidation unless economic conditions or targeted policy support materially improve.”