The recent UK Whitegoods meeting took place on Friday and, as usual, there were some interesting speakers and some interesting news to report. One of the most interesting topics covered was of course, the conversation with MFI’s Jim Frow who kindly attended and took questions, some of which were …
Author: admin
MFI In Management Buyout, Investment, Sale Or Administration
Furniture and appliance retailer MFI is once again in the headlines this weekend, this time with reports that the group, owned by Merchant Equity Partners (MEP), is understood to face four main options that are being weighed up. A management buyout, further cash from existing investors, a sale to…
Maytag Moves To Whirlpool
ERT Weekly has reported that Maytag’s business is to be integrated with that of Whirlpool in the UK leading to the closure of its Redhill, Surrey, base. During next month, all sales, marketing and after-sales service functions for Maytag will move to Whirlpool’s UK headquarters in Croydon while i…
MFI Seeks New Deal With Its Landlords
The Times as reported that MFI is understood to be in urgent talks with lahndlords just days after starting a search for emergency funding. MFI is believed to be fighting to secure new terms ahead of its quarterly rent bill on Monday. A source familiar with the talks said that Merchant Equity Par…
UK Whitegoods September Meeting
Once again it is time for one of the UK Whitegoods twice yearly meetings to take place in it’s traditional slot of the the last weekend in September. This time around we will, again as usual, have some interesting discussion and comment as well as some very interesting guests attending the meetin…
New Indesit Plants In Poland
At the beginning of October the Indesit Company, an Italian producer of home appliances, will launch dishwasher and washing machine factories in Radomsko. At the moment, the company has two facilities in Poland, at which ovens and refrigerators are produced. The total amount invested in Poland by…
Fridge Conman Jailed & Forced To Pay Back Cash
A man branded as Northhamptonshire’s worst ever conman after ripping off hundreds of people has been forced to hand over £66,000 to the authorities. Kenneth Hornsby was sentenced to three years in prison in 2003 after an investigation revealed refrigeration repairs he had carried out in Nor…
MFI Could Fall Into Administration Unless New Backer Found
The Sunday Times has reported that MFI could fall into administration within weeks unless a buyer for the ailing furniture chain can be found. Its owner, Merchant Equity Partners (MEP), are said to have appointed Argyll Partners to urgently find new investors to inject fresh equity into the firm.
Made In China
It may come as no surprise to most people that a lot of appliances and appliance parts are now produced in China. To that end, I’m splitting this article into two parts to explain some things about Chinese (or Asiatic) produced spares and appliances and how they work in the real world. &nbs…
Vacuum Cleaner Bags
Vacuum Cleaner Bags This is an area that, while we engineers have much experience of, we don’t concentrate on, probably as so many people choose to repair their own vacuum cleaners or, as they are often called, the hoover. Of course the other reason is that a lot of us cut our teeth r…