Buoyant Upholstery and Furniture Village have jointly acquired the design rights for the Ariana and Mariah sofa models, part of the retailer’s upholstery offer. It follows the closure of Ashley Manor, which previously manufactured both ranges.
The transaction — terms of which were not disclosed — comes after the collapse of the West Midlands manufacturer, following which Colne-based Buoyant stepped in to safeguard outstanding customer orders for the two models on behalf of the national retailer.
With multiple manufacturers expressing interest in producing the designs, the companies said they chose to secure the intellectual property to maintain continuity of specification and protect the range. Both designs have now been legally registered.
Mike Aramayo, managing director at Buoyant Upholstery, said the companies acted to ensure customers “continue to receive the original, high-quality specification” of the models.
Buoyant has separately acquired the full intellectual property portfolio of Ashley Manor. The purchase includes more than one hundred designs, a series of brand names, and several web domains, expanding the manufacturer’s library of registered designs and related assets.
Opus Restructuring, the administrator of the Ashley Manor business, last month said in its first report to creditors that a sale of intellectual property had been agreed with Alstons, the remaining TCM Living subsidiary, but that is not what has subsequently transpired.
