Reports this week from the Italian press indicate that buyers have been pursued, as we reported last month in a previous article but it seems that hopes to sell off the Antonio Merloni company are failing.
The company, that manufactured domestic appliances for many popular brands such as Baumatic, CDA, Diplomat and Hygena as well as owning the beleaguered Servis UK and Electra brands has been in administration since late last year.
Spare parts for many of the products produced by Antonio Merloni are still experiencing long leadtimes, if they are available at all. It is expected that the failure of Merloni could cost some insurers and brand owners many millions of Euro as appliances with spare parts unavailable they will have no option but to write the appliances off, sometimes for parts worth a few pence.
Talks are still ongoing and the Italian government is working to try to find some form of resolution in order to save the Merloni plants but, in the current economic climate it looks as if they have an uphill struggle on their hands.
Interestingly rumours were circulating last week that The Indesit Company may have expressed an interest in buying the business but at this point that speculation appears to have died. Of course there is a family connection there although the two companies are totally separate entities.
We will of course monitor the situation with interest.