Franz Madlener Pulls Off Villa & Hut Rescue But Still Faces Bankruptcy Fight

SmartCompany.com.au:

Villa & Hut founder Franz Madlener has finally managed to rescue his beloved retail chain from the wreckage of collapsed franchisor Allied Brands, and says he will now concentrate on staving off personal bankruptcy related to debts due to Allied’s woes.

Madlener, who started looking for a white knight for Villa & Hut in July when it became clear Allied’s problems were becoming worse, says he received strong interest from a number of prominent retailers who were keen to recapitalise and grow the chain.

In the end he decided to go with an offer from Melbourne’s Pausewang family. Family head Peter Pausewang is well known for turning around brands such as Eastcoast Fashion (where Madlener was actually a franchisee), Fletcher Jones, Pelaco and starting chains including Provisional Home Living and Smiggle.

Read more.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *