Unrest at Evesham as Austin jumps ship

Unrest at Evesham as Austin jumps ship


Troubled system builder appoints new director but uncertainty remains over future

Speculation surrounding the future of Geemore Technology, which trades as Evesham Technology, was growing last week after it emerged that managing director Richard Austin has jumped ship and left the ailing firm.

The Evesham brand has lived on for six months under the might of former Time/Tiny founder Tahir Mohsan, whose Dubai-based investment firm, PCC Technology, salvaged Evesham with a $22m (£11.3m) injection last summer.

Mohsan created a new firm, Geemore, to sell under the Evesham brand, with former Evesham chairman Austin heading up the business. Last month, the PC assembler admitted crisis talks had led to between 30 and 40 redundancies, but stressed it was still in business and would continue with 80 staff.

However, only a skeleton staff remains on board and Austin is believed to have left to join a US retailer. Companies House records show that a director resigned on the 15 February and a new director, John Aikman, was appointed on the same day. Aikman declined to comment.

One source close to the company said: “Staff have been told to build what they can from the remaining components and it sounds like that will be it. The brand is damaged and no suppliers will support it.”

Meanwhile, an investigation is under way into the conduct of Evesham directors when the firm entered administration last year.

Nitin Joshi, founder of advisory firm ChannelMoney, which is representing a number of Evesham’s creditors, said: “We have issues relating to the disposal of assets and the recovery of debts.”