Bad Apple
This one slipped under our radar - earlier this week it was announced that UK independent system builder Mesh had gone into administration, and its brand was bought by a distributor called PC Peripherals.
While there are some notable exceptions, the domestic system builder market has been struggling for some time, exemplified by the Evesham debacle in 2007/8. So it comes as no great surprise to see Mesh put out of its misery.
The administrators are Paul Davis and Adrian Dante of accountants MacIntyre Hudson, who were appointed on Tuesday and immediately sold the brand and some other assets to distributor PC Peripherals, who we'd never heard of and don't seem to have a website.
"This deal was reliant on a quick turnaround so we had to work hard to find the right buyer in a short space of time - whilst maximising the return for creditors," said Davis. "PC Peripherals stood out as the ideal investor and we wish them every success for the future."
"We are pleased to have completed this acquisition and see it as an excellent platform from which to develop our business," said Reza Jafari, owner of PC Peripherals. "Mesh Computers' 25 year history of manufacturing in the UK is a solid foundation to build from and we are looking forward to investing and moving into our next phase of growth."
It will be interesting to see if there's any value left in the Mesh brand, there didn't seem to be any in Evesham. But you can't help feeling there wasn't much left of the carcass to sell on.
The administrators recommend you speak to your credit card provider if you've paid for goods from Mesh and have yet to receive them. If that's not an option you can download a proof of debt form here, and submit it using the contact details below.
Ref CR100626
MacIntyre Hudson
New Bridge Street House
30-34 New Bridge Street
London
EC4V 6BJ
Fax: 020 7248 8939
Email: emma.thacker@mhllp.co.uk
Davis even offered some words of wisdom about the tech market. "It is not just the recession that hit IT firms hard," he explained. "The rise in demand for iPads and other tablet devices over laptops and PCs means we are seeing lots of changes in the sector across the entire supply chain, from manufacturing through to distribution and retail."
So Mesh was doing just fine until the iPad came along was it? OK...
UPDATE - 10:30, 3 June 2011: A reader has pointed out PC Peripherals does have a website, albeit a rudimentary one.
