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Lightmoves return to Sydney
Lots of Watts sold
In January Melbourne based lighting firm Lightmoves will acquire most of the assets and the rights to the
Lots of Watts business, located in Western Sydney. The firm will continue in its core activities of installation,
sales and rental of lighting and audio equipment.
Established 20 years, Lots of Watts fell into difficulties
during the GFC, when the Commonwealth Bank curtailed
credit despite excellent performance by the company. The
firm had just embarked on expansion, selling six small
warehouses to take an option to buy one large facility in
South Street Rydalmere into which they moved. With bank
support suddenly withdrawn, the purchase option reverted
to a lease, which became hard to service when an associated
company Challenge Trailers (not acquired by Lightmoves)
ran into difficulties.
Lots of Watts has an excellent reputation, according to
Lightmoves chief Braham Ciddor. “We asked around and
people like the ethics of the business”, he told CX.
Lots of Watts founder Greg Kean is part of the package,
says Braham, with the new entity to commence from January
in what he describes as a seamless transition and likely
to be known as Lots of Watts Australia.
“This is a Lightmoves deal”, Braham said, eager to dampen speculation that associated lighting rental firm Res X would
open in Sydney. “If anything, we will relocate some equipment because Res X does a lot of wholesale hire to other firms, and
that’s something Lots of Watts do as well.”
Lightmoves has three strengths – Lighting Contracting, LED and Theatre Technology. They employ around 50 people
across Lightmoves, Res X and Browns Precision Welding. The group is known as a well managed and successful business
across Victoria. A business also named Lightmoves in Sydney had no connection, and was closed in 2000.
Phaseshift Restructure
As Dave Jackson Departs
Phaseshift Productions continues in name, with owner Lawrie
Videky forging ahead minus right hand man and former
director David Jackson. After the Melbourne based lighting
firm ‘did a phoenix’ a year ago, leaving behind a slab of debt
owed to almost everyone in the lighting biz, things have
been a little difficult.
“you went hard on us and we didn’t have a chance to put
our side of the story”, Videky complained to CX recently.
Actually they had a chance – we’d emailed a copy of our story
prior to publication and got a legal letter in reply threatening
all kinds of things and putting no position at all.
“It must be lonely for you”, CX asked. “you can’t subhire
from other lighting firms anymore”. “Actually some of them
will still play with us”, Videky replied.
“We’ve got support in the industry, people want to see us
continue to keep the bastards honest and keep competition
in the market”. Phaseshift works in some of the spaces occupied
by PRG and Res X in Melbourne.
In July the company changed its entity operating name
from Phaseshift Productions to Lawrie Videky Trading
Pty Ltd. “It was too confusing for some of the corporates –
they would confuse the old (infected, debt laden and now
redundant) Phaseshift with the new Phaseshift. “In hindsight
I wouldn’t have kept the name exactly the same”, he
explained, despite the two operating firms having different
company numbers.
Videky was reluctant to comment on the departure of
Jackson, who has been a divisive figure in the lighting community
since the ‘restructure’ of Phaseshift. “We had good
relations with the lighting importers (before the ‘restructure’)”,
Videky says, “and now we still have to get parts from
somewhere”. He is explaining why Jackson had assisted with
importing various lighting fixtures and parts (which anyone
can do) but had no explanation regarding the rumours that
his firm had promoted sale of ‘grey sourced’ parts or equipment
to other lighting firms in Australia.
Phaseshift Dave Jackson and
Lawrie Videky in
happier times