Above: Lars Bendixen and Dale Hawkins

Zünd has confirmed it will work closely with the customers who paid deposits to Starleaton for cutting tables before the local distributor went into voluntary administration.

In the first of a three-part interview conducted at the recent FESPA exhibition in Amsterdam with Switzerland-based Zünd Systemtechnik AG executive, Lars Bendixen, who is responsible for the local market as well as the new local Zünd Australia subsidiary said conversations have commenced with local customers who have paid deposits for Zünd cutting tables and have not received their machines prior to Starleaton entering voluntary administration.

“We are talking to customers who have paid a deposit and we would like to provide them with a machine,” Bendixen told Sprinter in an exclusive interview.

“Unfortunately, we cannot honour the payments that have been made to Starleaton. We have built the machines and they are in our warehouse.

“We want to take care of customers who have been left behind and our immediate focus is to clean up the mess and hopefully deliver some products to these customers.

“Everyone has a different situation and we will strive to find a solution for each customer who feels they have been left out or left behind. The solution will be different for each case.

“We have invested in the Zünd Australia subsidiary to reassure the market and provide stability as well create long term and reliable partnerships. The settlement we will offer to the customers left behind is entirely based on compassion and goodwill. It is also an investment in future relationships.

“When a customer in Australia is doing business with another party in Australia that contract is typically governed by Australian law. The contracts between Zünd Systemtechnik AG and Starleaton are under Swiss law as are the shipments of machines and money transfers.

“There has been some speculation about the legal claims and what the possibilities are under the scope of the law. This claim can only be made to Starleaton and there is potentially nothing to get. We believe the money they are looking for isn’t there.

“Before Starleaton went into voluntary administration, as long as the ‘music was playing’ and everyone was in dialogue, we did our best to support Ben Eaton and the Starleaton business and we would send yet another machine. Looking back, maybe we shouldn’t have shipped the last few machines to Australia.”

Bendixen confirmed that the supply of consumables and spare parts continued after Starleaton entered voluntary administration after direct contact was made with Australian companies with Zünd cutting tables.

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