This is an industry that is consistently full of new ideas, technology and ways of decorating to an even greater effect than previous. So with new technology bought in something has to be done with the old machinery, but the question of what is done with it often proves to be a problem.

Now none of us like to sell old machinery on at a huge loss, especially considering the investment that has been made in the new technology, and selling machinery can often prove to be a difficult and tedious challenge.

This is a problem solved by Nottinghamshire-based specialists M-Tech, who have spent the past five years buying second hand machinery and selling it on to users around the world.

M-Tech Managing Director Mike Mahoney concedes that 'There is not much of a market for selling second hand machinery in the UK.' So as a result, M-Tech are the sole company in the UK to guarantee that all machines bought from UK decorators will be sold to customers around the world.

Mike said, 'The main benefit I offer to UK businesses is that I don't sell back into the UK, everything I buy goes abroad - 100%. The main reasons for this are that is upsets people and I don't offer any after sales support which buyers in the UK may need.'

What M-Tech offer is a service to collect your old embroidery machine from your premises, take it to a storage depot where it is cleaned and then sold on to an overseas

buyer. The machines are also serviced once they have been shipped abroad, the eventual owner is informed in the first instance of any problems.

The collection, moving, cleaning and storage is all outsourced by M-Tech and generally it will take a maximum of 30 days to move the machine from the premises of the seller to the buyer. Mike said that generally the machines will be in storage for around two weeks.

The final price paid by the buyer is at a fixed rate with the time and cost of storage set against this total cost. Mike said, 'With the way we work, once the machine has left the seller's premises they can forget about it.'

Over the past five years, Mike said that he has built up a network of around 2000 dealers, around 50 of which are 'regular buyers.' To date, machines have been sold by M-Tech into countries such as India, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

M-Tech is built upon Mike's experience within the embroidery market. With more than 30 years experience of selling in the industry, it is fair to say that he understands the particular niche of embroidery after working for specialists Geoffrey E. Macpherson.

Mike said, 'After three years of hard work it is now running itself because of the connections and we're sitting very pretty because everyone knows us. Business is really good at the moment, in January alone we sold 13 machines.'

For further information contact M-Tech on 0115 9061 333, fax 0115 9061 303, email : mikemahoneyuk@yahoo.com. Visit the website at www.mtech-machines.com.

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