Waterline to be wound-up

Waterline, the kitchen furniture, appliance, sinks, taps and ancillary kitchen products supplier has ceased trading.

Alex Cadwallader and Dane O’Hara from Leonard Curtis were appointed as Joint Administrators of Waterline Limited on 9th October 2025.

The Waterline board of directors had decided to market and sell the business, however the sale fell through and with a lack of long-term funding available, Leonard Curtis was formally instructed in September 2025 and an accelerated mergers & acquisitions process started.

It has proved impossible to sell the business as a going concern, despite some appetite for stock and intellectual property rights – there was no appetite for purchasing the business as a going concern.

The multi-disciplinary teams from Leonard Curtis, including its performance advisory specialists, have prepared a wind down plan to benefit the company as whole and assist the Retention of Title suppliers in collecting their stock whilst realising the value in the other assets.

The Administrators are not in a position to fulfil nor take any orders.

Administrator Alex Cadwallader commented: “We are disappointed that a sale did not take place, despite reaching out to both industry and non-industry specific parties as part of our regulated process.  A key driver for the board of Waterline was the safeguarding of jobs for employees with the aim of a going concern sale. However, despite their best efforts, the external factors pressures in the economy and the sector specifically meant a buyer could not be found.

“Unfortunately, 105 redundancies have taken place, with 15 staff members working to support the wind down of the business.”

Axia VS have acted as agents and Crowell & Moring as solicitors in the process.

The KBSA issued a LinkedIn statement offering support to those affected: “The news that Waterline has ceased trading brings real sadness across the KBB sector. While many were aware of the challenges faced in recent times, it is still deeply disappointing to see such a long-established name leave the industry.”

Sister company Crown Imperial is still running.