Paradise staff head for CAE

Reseller loses half of its employees to local rival after entering administration

Half the employees of defunct reseller Paradise Computers have jumped ship to join local rival CAE Technology Services.

Borehamwood-based Paradise went into administration on 13 September, weeks after Hewlett-Packard (HP) issued it with a writ against alleged grey-market activities.

Justin Harling, managing director of Watford-based CAE, said the firm hired 22 former Paradise staff.

"It all happened very quickly," Harling told CRN. "We were looking for acquisitions or a partnership - this just accelerated that. To grow by employing people cuts out any acquisition cost."

CAE's staff numbers have now increased by 50 per cent to 65. The 46 staff who worked at Paradise included eight corporate sales account managers, as well as administrators and engineers.

"HP was very supportive and looked at [the new staff] as part of CAE's growth," Harling said.

A representative of accountancy firm BDO Stoy Hayward, which is handling the administration of Paradise, said there was "no update" to the situation and it is still looking to sell the assets.

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