Bidders swoop for Steljes' display and audio stock

Midwich and Avocor rumoured to be among those that have acquired inventory off administrator alongside Premier Group, which has snapped up nearly 10,000 audio products

Steljes' warehouse is slowly being emptied as its administrator continues to sell off stock to assorted bidders.

Premier Group yesterday agreed deals to buy all the stock and trademarks of ConxEasy and Steljes Audio, as well Steljes' inventory of Mainline-branded power tracks.

Steljes' inventory of SMART and Vividtouch interactive displays, meanwhile, have been snapped up by Midwich and Avocor, respectively, according to market sources.

It's been three weeks since Steljes fell into administration after changes in the distribution model of its largest vendor, SMART, left it unable to service its overheads.

Shortly afterwards, administrator AlixPartners said it would seek buyers for all or parts of the £50m-turnover distributor, and now various deals have been reached with assorted parties.

Premier Group managing director Richard Thomas confirmed that his firm - which trades as Sapphire AV Manufacturing - has bought close to 10,000 audio products from the administrator, including over 1,000 ConxEasy sound bars. It has also acquired the trademarks of Steljes Audio and ConxEasy.

Thomas claimed Newport-based Premier Group - which makes projector screens, projector mounts and audio-visual furniture - outbid several other suitors, including some that were only looking at the stock.

"The [audio] business was starting to go very nicely when the curtain came down - it had some nice-looking kit," he said.

Thomas said the consumer-focused Steljes Audio and professional ConxEasy brands fit well with Premier Group's duel consumer and professional focus.

"We are already starting to think about re-ordering stock to ensure we have continuity of supply and to carry on the development of the products that there were plans to enhance," he said.

"We are a credit-worthy business around for the long-term."

According to sources, newly appointed SMART distributor Midwich has moved in to buy Steljes' SMART inventory, said to be worth £800,000, from the administrator.

Meanwhile, Avocor, a new company set up by former Steljes staff including founder Nigel Steljes, is rumoured to have acquired some of the inventory for VividTouch, Steljes' own-branded interactive touchscreen brand that the distributor exhibited heavily at this year's BETT show.

Although the company could not be reached to confirm this, Avocor is advertising VividTouch products on its website.

"They bought all the latest stock but didn't take some of the earlier stuff - the 55-inch stuff is more difficult to sell," said one source.

Premier Group also successfully bid for Steljes' entire EU inventory of Mainline power rail systems, which Thomas said amounted to 140,000 items. He said these will be sold back to the Australian manufacturer.

CRN has approached the administrator for more information on the sale process but had not heard back at the time of going to press.