27/07/2005

Tiny PC closes doors

The future of one of the UK's largest computer manufacturing firms owned by Granville Technology Group is in serious doubt following a decision to call in the administrators and close all 78 of its Computer Shop retail stores.

The Burnley-based Lancashire company that trades as Tiny Computers, Time Education and owns the Computer Shop branded stores earlier confirmed that it had moved to close its retail outlets and call in the administrators as a series of business related issues emerged this week.

All the company's directors have resigned with the exception of the non-executive chairman and lay-offs are understood to be in progress.

The GMB union has confirmed that it has been aware of problems at the company for over a week. At the computer manufacturing facility, staff had apparently been asked to take leave. The union is seeking urgent talks with management.

The group employs around 1,200 staff and at its height produced hundreds of thousands of personal computers a year for home and educational use.

Operating some 150 stores nationwide, the company had cut back its high street retail presence. Tiny had also been rebranded as Tiny.com and converted to a more internet-driven sales footing in a bid to boost sales in a market hard hit by price deflation in recent years.

One of the largest PC manufacturers in the UK, Tiny collapsed in 2002 and was taken over shortly afterward by its then main rival the Time Group owned by Granville.

(SP/KMcA)

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