Total Carbide Ltd placed into administration by the High Court
Total Carbide Ltd, a Manchester-registered specialist manufacturer of carbide products, entered administration on 13 May 2026 after a High Court appointment. Full notice and Companies House record.
Information for general guidance, drawn from the public record. Not legal, financial, or insolvency advice. If you are affected by an insolvency, consult a licensed practitioner or qualified solicitor.
Andrew Knowles and Andrew Poxon of Leonard Curtis were appointed joint administrators over Total Carbide Ltd on 13 May 2026, after the High Court of Justice sealed the order under its Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, Insolvency and Companies List.
Administration is a formal insolvency process in which licensed insolvency practitioners take control of a company to rescue it, sell it as a going concern, or realise its assets for creditors. Knowles holds IP number 24850 and Poxon holds IP number 8620. Both are licensed to act as joint administrators, meaning either can act independently unless the appointment specifies otherwise.
The company
Total Carbide Ltd is registered at Riverside House, Irwell Street, Manchester, M3 5EN, and is classified under SIC code 32990, which covers the manufacture of other products not elsewhere classified. Companies House records show the company was incorporated on 29 September 1989.
The business has traded under several names since incorporation. It was originally registered as Jugplace Limited, became Hoybide Limited in July 1991, and then Howle Carbides Limited in September 2000. It took its current name, Total Carbide Ltd, in August 2009. The company last filed full accounts made up to 30 September 2024.
The officers
At the time of the administration, the active directors were Andreas Hohmann, appointed in June 2014, and Christopher Michael Leigh, appointed in July 2013. Leigh also holds the role of company secretary, having been appointed to that position in July 2013. No other directors or secretaries are currently serving.
Secured lender
One outstanding charge is registered against Total Carbide Ltd. Santander UK PLC, acting as security trustee for each group member, holds a registered charge created on 16 August 2013 and delivered to Companies House the following day. The charge has been subject to a notification of addition or amendment and remains outstanding. As a secured creditor, Santander UK PLC ranks ahead of unsecured creditors when the administrators distribute any realisations from the company's assets.
The court filing
The case was assigned court number CR-2026-003705 in the Insolvency and Companies List. The appointment was made on 13 May 2026 and published in the London Gazette on 26 May 2026. Creditors wishing to submit a claim should file a proof of debt, the formal claim form evidencing the amount owed, with the joint administrators at Leonard Curtis.
Common questions
Are you owed money by Total Carbide Limited?
You are an unsecured creditor unless you hold a registered charge or retention of title. The administrators will write to known creditors in due course with a proof-of-debt form and timetable for the first meeting. Until that letter arrives, no formal action is required from you. Read more about proof of debt and where you sit in the creditor hierarchy.
Did you work at Total Carbide Limited?
Wages owed up to a statutory cap, holiday pay, notice pay and redundancy may be claimable from the Redundancy Payments Service if the company is unable to pay. The administrators will normally coordinate the RP1 claim with the affected staff. See gov.uk: your rights if your employer is insolvent.
Do you hold a deposit, gift card or undelivered order from Total Carbide Limited?
Customers with paid-but-undelivered orders, gift cards or deposits typically rank as unsecured creditors. Where you paid by credit card and the amount was over £100, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 may let you claim from the card issuer for breach of contract or misrepresentation by the supplier; the rules apply per item, not per transaction, and the card must be a regulated credit card. Debit-card payments may be recoverable via chargeback.
Are you a director of a company connected to Total Carbide Limited?
Watch for Section 216 of the Insolvency Act 1986 if you intend to keep trading under a similar name in a successor company. The rule prohibits a director of a liquidated company from being involved in another company using the same or a similar name for five years, unless one of the statutory exceptions applies. Read more about Section 216.
Sources
- The London Gazette notice (code Appointment of Administrators)
- Companies House record 02427937
- Court: High Court of Justice
- Editorial standards: how we source and review; five-pass pipeline.
