Carrera sale still on hold

Four parties have emerged as possible buyers of systems builder Carrera Technology, but the expected sale of the company has failed to materialise.

Four parties have emerged as possible buyers of systems builder Carrera Technology, but the expected sale of the company has failed to materialise.

Adding to growing industry speculation as to who will buy the company, Mesh Computers appeared to be a front runner last week when it purchased the domain name CarreraComputers.co.uk on 17 October.

However, John Hendrick, marketing manager at Mesh, said: "We are not taking over Carrera, and I am unable to comment on the sales negotiations." Hendrick also refused to comment on the purchase of Carrera's domain name.

Online resellers Evesham.com and Hi-grade are also rumoured to be interested in the sale but, when questioned, both companies remained tight-lipped. A representative for Evesham said: "We are not in any negotiations, despite what some industry sources say."

Pannell Kerr Forster (PKF), appointed joint administrator by the High Court, is seeking "the best deal for all parties involved".

Nitin Joshi, director at PKF, said: "We had a late comer to the scene. However, all four parties involved are currently in negotiations and looking at the financial information, turnover and stock options. There are a number of factors involved with this sale, which is why it is taking so long." He added that a deal was expected to be on the table by early this week.

Eddie Pacey, credit manager at distributor Ideal Hardware, said: "The original touted price may have been questioned, but there is always a degree of bartering involved."

David Pattison, manager at industry financial analyst Plimsoll Publishing, said that based on Carrera's 1999 results, the firm had become an acquisition possibility. "Its profits peaked in 1998. With increasing market competition it suffered a sales decline and reached a saturation point last year," he said.