By Patrick Avenell
Retravision WA and Retravision Northern have moved swiftly to invite Retravision Southern members to move their businesses into one of the other two Retravision buying groups, internal documents reveal. Retravision Southern was placed in voluntary administration earlier today.
In a letter to Retravision Southern members sent yesterday (Sunday 20 May 2012), and seen by Current.com.au, Retravision WA CEO Paul Holt and Northern CEO Phil Scarff say they are ready to begin replicating head office functions, such as purchasing from suppliers, on behalf of Southern members.
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“We are sending this email to you with the blessing of the Board of Directors of the Southern region in order to ensure that the migration proposal that was presented to the shareholder meeting on Friday is made available in detail to every store as a point of reference and for deeper consideration,” the letter, co-signed by Holt and Scarff, says.
“We want to ensure we can move quickly to arrange alternative supply arrangements for any store wishing to migrate as outlined in the attached proposal. An early application will enable us to arrange certainty of supply in the shortest timeframe we can achieve.”
“This proposal is aimed at providing the majority of Southern stores with an ongoing line of supply in the immediate term, so you are able to continue to trade with a minimum of interruption.
Under this Migration Proposal, stores in Victoria and Tasmania would join Retravision WA, while all New South Wales stores would join Retravision Northern.
“We are obviously keen to retain as much purchase volume in the Retravision group as we are able and to protect the integrity of the brand,” continued Holt and Scarff in this letter.
“In closing, we wish to try and find a solution for as many stores to migrate as is possible and this may require flexibility on all sides in finding the best way forward for all concerned.”
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In a second document entitled “Retravision Southern – Store Migration Proposal”, dated Friday 18 May 2012, Holt and Scarff wrote to suppliers informing them of the incorporation of Southern members into the WA and Northern groups.
“Dear Retravision Supplier,
“You may have heard that Retravision Southern (RVS) has appointed KordaMentha as voluntary administrators this morning. In the background we have been working busily to establish a store migration program including processes and procedures, to offer the RVS credit worthy and secured dealers an immediate supply agreement through either Retravision Western or Retravision Northern, as we work towards fully migrating them into the respective Retravision businesses.”
Holt and Scarff go on to write that, “We have already received interest from a significant number of stores wanting to migrate as quickly as possible”.
Furthermore, Holt and Scarff note in this document that “the Retravision unification process will continue”, and that this joining of the three Retravisions into Retravision Australia is “nearly completed”.