BRIGHOUSE: A solar installation business set up by a roofer who won backing on the Dragons' Den TV show has fallen into administration.
Ploughcroft Building Services boss Chris Hopkins won £120,000 backing for his plan to set up a national photovoltaic panels installer network from business giants Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis on the show. The firm set up a dedicated training division and became the first roofing contractor with an NVQ solar roof training centre and CSCS centre in the UK.
Mr Hopkins blamed the collapse on cuts in the feed-in tariff for his firm's demise as the government launch the Green Deal.
Huddersfield administrators DL Partnership have agreed to sell all the firm's assets and goodwill to Mr Hopkins, who will now trade under the newly-formed Ploughcroft Ltd.
Mr Hopkins said: "I started out as a roofer 20 years ago and I am adamant to retain my credibility in this industry.
"I saw solar as the way forward before the recession hit the building and roofing industry in 2006 and have helped produce the solar roofing NVQ which is now being taught in colleges across the UK, and used as a key competency in the MCS accreditation process."
