After months of rumours and grumbling from unpaid suppliers, pioneering melbourne digital print business On Demand has collapsed and is in liquidation – but not before ‘licencing’ its name and kit to a company with Con Maniatis, one of On Demand’s managers, as its director.

ProPrint points out that On Demand has no connection whatsoever with Chris Pilz’s On Demand Sydney.

On Demand’s high profile owner Bruce Peddlesden tells ProPrint he will not be involved in the licensed business, Production Printing (Aust) Pty Ltd, trading as On Demand, but may consult with them.

Peddlesden says the new company is ‘not an attempt at a phoenix’ and was only set up to keep the business trading while the liquidator fields offers to buy it.

He says while the new company will use the On Demand kit, its ownership has not been transferred to the new company, and will be under the control of liquidators.

Production Printing (Aust) directors are Maniatis, former FAB Equipment man Tim Farrell, and Michael Wu, director of Ability Press in Melbourne, and they are hoping to buy the business.

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The licensing move effectively means the On Demand business will carry on…