Sturmey-Archer: On the Brink Of a Take-Over

NOTTINGHAM, UK (4 December) – Sturmey-Archer Europe, the Amsterdam sales office of the former British component supplier, expects to make a announcement this week about a take-over. The new Sturmey-Archer owner is rumored to be a Taiwanese company which will take over the brand name, the patents, the special tools and part of the machinery. Despite the expected take-over the scheduled auctioning will proceed on the 12th, 13th and 14th December at the Triumph Road site. Acting upon the instructions of joint liquidators of Sturmey-Archer KPMG and Smith & Williamson, FPDSavills will be auctioning the lots, numbering in excess of 3,000, over the full three days. Lotting is currently underway and the vast array of major equipment includes three Liebergeld forging machines each worth in excess of GBP100,000 (US$145,000;EUR163,000) with the largest being 1,000 tonnes. These will attract considerable interest and are likely to find purchasers from abroad. A schedule for worldwide marketing is underway with flyers being sent to Taiwan, Japan, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Holland, Mexico and the USA. FPDSavills have taken on former Sturmey-Archer employees on a temporary basis to assist in the collation, advisory and disposal process until assets are realized from the forthcoming sale. For further information: Mike Hanson, FPDSavills, + 44 115 9348100. (JO)