via Merlin seeks new investors after Chinese funding talks falter | The Source on June 2, 2014
Troubled textile company, Merlin, which is currently under judicial management, is seeking new investors to acquire 51 percent shares and recapitalise the business after a proposed funding arrangement with a Chinese firm fell through, the judicial manager said on Monday.
At the beginning of this year, the Bulawayo-based textile company approached Chinese owned Sino Zim Cotton Holdings seeking $14 million funding to revive operations but the deal fell through.
Merlin survived liquidation over a decade ago and was placed under judicial management for the third time in December 2011. It suspended production in October 2010 to minimise losses when capacity utilisation fell to 20 percent.
Last year, judicial manager Cecil Madondo was tasked to seek investors following a meeting of creditors and members at the Bulawayo High Court.
The company requires $1,2 million in the short-term to start production while more than $3 million will be required in the medium-term (1-2 years) to purchase land and building as well as carry out major repairs and maintenance of equipment. More than $8 million will be required to replace obsolete machinery.
Madondo said he had been authorised by the majority of creditors to identify and invite suitable investors in Merlin pending approval to implement a scheme of arrangement by the High Court.
“The proposed restructuring will initially involve the injection of capital into the company by a new investor, who will be selected through a competitive bidding process,” he told The Source on Monday.
Merlin, which used to be one of the biggest textile companies in the country, also requires cash to pay creditors and procure raw materials.
Madondo said he would be accepting bids by June 30.
At full capacity, the plant at Merlin can process up to 120 tonnes of lint per month.
The company is sitting on a $4.3 million debt, $1 million of which is owed to workers in outstanding salaries.
COMMENTS
If the Chinese cannot buy into it,then Grace must move in . For as long as ZANU is power, no one decent is prepared to throw away their money into a bottomless pit.
ZANU must go . Its the elephant in the room.
ho ho ho ho! Roving Ambassador always 100% right
The strange thing is that no one mentions that the arch child rapist n master criminal chiyanga stole both merlin and g d shoes in the 1990’s under black empowerment indiginisation n asset stripped to fund his immoral obscene lifestyle, the ” flamboyant mogul tycoon ” is nothing more than a zanupf common thief, as for madondo of Tudor house he is well known for embezzling clients’ funds protected by zpf. All earmarked for the new chikkers snakepit
is Mercy Sidile still a big wig at Merlin remember she was part of the willogate scandal?
All crooks don’t buy any shares let it fail like the rest of zanupf
A friend who worked at Merlin in the 80’s when it was still viable, is now exporting textiles to Zim from South Africa. He often wonders out aloud, as to why he should be doing this, when he could have been producing the same stuff at home.
Merlin is a great company in Bulawayo.