Flower wholesaler liquidates number of firms

A number of companies in Interbloem, the wholesale flower and plant group that supplied Tesco, have gone into liquidation.

Interbloem Flower Packing and Interbloem Ltd were put into voluntary liquidation through the courts earlier this month. Financial intermediation company Interbloem Holdings Ltd is to hold a creditors' meeting in the Mount Herbert Hotel in Dublin on March 22nd next.

Another related company, Frank M Reilly, a transport provider, is to host a creditors' meeting at the same venue at the same date. The latest filed accounts for Interbloem Holdings, for the year to end-December 2004, show equity shareholders' funds of €695,856. Trade creditors were owed €82,735.

Thomas and Maeve Duke held 50 and 40 shares respectively, with Aidan Lynch, of Palmerston Villas, Rathmines, Dublin, holding the remaining 10 issued shares. Efforts to contact Thomas and Maeve Duke last night were unsuccessful.

Notes to the accounts show the company paid rent of €132,886 to the Tom & Pat Duke and P Dilworth Partnership, of which Mr Duke was a director and shareholder. All the Interbloem companies have their business address at the Naas Road Horticultural Park, Corkagh, Dublin 22.

The latest filed accounts for Interbloem Flower Packing Ltd, for the year to end December 2004, show equity shareholders' funds of €3,128. Trade creditors were €657,982. The company paid rent totalling €127,194 to Tom & Pat Duke and P Dilworth Partnership, according to the accounts.

Interbloem Flower Packing Ltd was unsuccessful in its recent tender to continue supplying cut flowers to Tesco. However, this is not understood to be the reason behind the liquidations. The latest filed accounts for Interbloem Ltd showed an equity shareholders' deficit of €466,901. Trade creditors were €847,632. During the year, the company paid rent of €99,040 to the Tom & Pat Duke and P Dilworth Partnership, according to the accounts.

The latest filed accounts for Frank M Reilly Ltd, for the year to end December 2004, show an equity shareholders' deficit of €395,664. Trade creditors and accruals were €147,495.

Tesco regularly puts its supply contracts out to tender. It is understood the contract for supplying the chain with flowers may move to Keelings later this year.