Cannon hit by Bison collapse

Cannon Group, the Oxfordshire firm that recently closed its transport and distribution operation, seems to have been hit by the administration of major customer Bison Concrete Products.

First and foremost, Cannon ran as many as 40 HGVs in the Bison livery, but the company went into administration in late October. Even though certain parts of Bison Concrete’s assets were later acquired by a new company, Bison Manufacturing Ltd (BML), the transport arrangements are now officially done on a spot hire basis from its Swadlincote, Derbyshire and Uddingston, South Lanarkshire plants.

Furthermore, Cannon operated from two sites in both Abingdon and Knottingley, West Yorks, and owned Coventry-based Oldhams Transport. Nonetheless, Cannon’s latest accounts (for the year to 30 June 2007) list 170 non-administration staff.

Its packing and logistics operation is continuing to trade while it looks for a buyer. Moreover, in the year to 30 June 2007, Cannon reported a turnover of £17m, as well as a pre-tax profit of just £1,091. In addition to this, Oldhams Transport also reported a pre-tax loss of £134,087 on a turnover of £4.1m in the period from 1 January 2006 to 30 June 2007. Apart from all that, Oldhams Transport later bought cash-strapped Warwickshire haulier Draycote Continentale from its original administrators in August 2007.