The Ayres Team: (L to R) Paul Chaston, Roger Kennington, Steve Hopkins, John Zeppieri
Ayres acquires jewellery packaging competitor
2.5 k views | Posted August 30, 2011 |
By Aaron Weinman
Melbourne-based company Kenneth Ayres has acquired its competitor, Davies Ferguson. The deal announced on Sunday at the Sydney jewellery fair will see Davies Ferguson close after 30 years in business.
Kenneth Ayres has acquired the business assets in the form of stock, plant and equipment; and the sale will mean that Davies Ferguson will cease operations on August 31, 2011.
Ayres national sales manager Paul Chaston said the takeover was smooth and the relationship between the two competitors has always been amicable.
“We knew they (Davies Ferguson) wanted to move on. Our relationship has always been respectful, despite being competitors and it has been an amicable transition,” Chaston said.
Because the takeover coincided with the opening of the International Jewellery Fair in Sydney, Chaston decided to continue with both the Ayres and Davies Ferguson stands in order to maintain good customer relations with both businesses.
Chaston explained that the acquisition does not include the ‘Davies Ferguson’ trading name but “all Davies Ferguson customers have been notified of the change because we don’t want to mislead them and we want to preserve the customer base,” Chaston said.
Buoyant about the acquisition, Chaston believes the Ayres product ranges will be strengthened because the combination of both Ayres and Davies Ferguson give customers a greater level of choice.
“Any gaps in our display have been filled with the acquisition and with this [new] range we can maintain comfort for our customer base, making sure that the stock that was there for Davies customers, is still there for them at Ayres,” Chaston said.
The NSW-based Brookvale operation of Davies Ferguson will be relocated to the Ayres manufacturing facilities in Reservoir, Victoria and Chaston said the transition was an arduous logistical exercise.
“There will no doubt be a few settling issues, but with 38-years in the industry, we are all about customer service and will continue to stand by our clients,” Chaston said.
In a company statement, the company’s managing director, Kenneth Ayres said the business would continue as usual and the company will allow customers to continue to place orders for their normal stock. “Over time there will be some obvious consolidation of stock lines but essentially the message to customers is ‘business as usual’.”