Scandalous British Furniture Supplier Looks for Russian-Speaking Director

28.06.2012 Notorious British company Strongbox Accommodation Furniture Ltd (SAF) is looking for Russian-speaking sales director to expand business in Russia and CIS. Such job advertisement was posted on www.jobview.monster.co.uk which is a popular website on vacancies.

Bearing the name of Strongbox Marine Furniture Ltd (SMF) up to Feb 2012, the London-headquartered company Strongbox Accommodation Furniture Ltd in Nov 2011 by resolution of Russian defense minister Anatoly Serdiukov was selected as manufacturer of metal cabin furniture for prospective warships being currently built for Russian Navy. The same resolution set Marine Complex Systems Ltd (St. Petersburg) as a furniture supplier; the latter company is authorized dealer of Strongbox in Russia and CIS.

That defense minister's resolution triggered ambiguous reaction of Russian furniture manufacturers and shipbuilders which now have to redesign ship projects, break long-sanding production ties and meet the new "furniture" budget.

In its turn, Strongbox was found insolvent and is undergoing administration being on the verge of bankruptcy. However, SMF director Stephen Edmunds denies his company's bankruptcy saying that transition of assets fr om one firm to another as well as placing of SMF under administration because of deteriorated cash position is nothing more than "reorganization" and "modernization" due to the "growing needs of the shipbuilding industry".

Recall that according to a Central Navy Portal's source in London business community, owner of Strongbox Marine Furniture Mr. Stephen Edmunds went bust not once throughout his business career. For instance, Strongbox Systems Ltd busted in Sept 2004, and Strongbox Broadcast Products Ltd became insolvent in Apr 2006 (both were related to Edmunds, as British businessmen say). However, one of London journalists told Central Navy Portal that "Steve Edmunds' companies have a history of going into receivership and immediately starting as new company with a similar name. Because his companies are lim ited he is not personally responsible for the debts. In the UK, we call the companies that start as soon as the old one has gone bust Phoenix Companies…"

The opened vacancy demonstrates how important Russian market is for directors of the British "phoenix". Rough calculations show that all-up furnishing of one corvette with metal furniture may cost up to RUR 120-150 mln. If the Serdiukov's resolution would be actively implemented in "Russian Navy ships being designed, built, repaired, and modernized", considering batch production, overall profit may reach billions of rubles with larger share going abroad.

The only thing worth surprising in this vacancy-opening story is that Strongbox Accommodation Furniture Ltd already has one Russian-speaking director. According to open media, in Feb 2012 right after reorganization of Strongbox Marine Furniture into Strongbox Accommodation Furniture, Eduard Ivanov was appointed director of the latter one. Being a citizen of the Russian Federation registered in St. Petersburg, Mr. Ivanov formerly used to work in Marine Complex Systems. Obviously, owing to the vast plans for Russian naval contracts, one Ivanov is not enough.