Trade printer CMYKhub says it is fulfilling all current Whirlwind trade orders, even though the liquidator will be claiming the money for them. CMYKhub has purchased some of Whirlwind's assets, its customer list, and taken over the lease of its factory in Knoxfield, Victoria. However CMYKhub does not own Whirlwind, as that business is now in liquidation.
CMYKhub is currently working around the clock to help transition new customers and help ex-Whirlwind trade customers complete the orders that were left in limbo when the liquidators arrived on Wednesday.
The company says, though, that it is not working on the non-trade customers of Whirlwind, keeping to its trade-only focus. "Whilst we have purchased Whirlwind's customer list, CMYKhub is committed to remaining Australia's trusted trade partner, and will not be servicing the commercial element of the former Whirlwind business," it says.
IT system interruptions caused by the liquidation process have meant that the staff at Knoxfield are literally having to walk the factory floor to locate orders. CMYKhub says processes are in place and the orders will be fulfilled, although there is having to be some manual paper chasing which means some orders may take longer than expected.
In a letter to Whirlwind clients CMYKhub says, "If you have an order in progress with Whirlwind, the team at CMYKhub has made the choice to produce and deliver this order even though the liquidator will be claiming the payment for it. This is a commitment we have made to support trade customers who would otherwise be left without the product they ordered. We are doing everything we can in difficult circumstances to produce these in a reasonable timeframe.
"CMYKhub acknowledges the disruption this will cause many trade partners that were buying products from Whirlwind that they believed were not available elsewhere. For this reason we have already integrated these items into our standard product range:
420gsm Artboard Business Cards 352gsm Premium Uncoated Business Cards (Strathmore Smooth) 104gsm Premium Laser Letterhead (Strathmore Smooth)
The company says, "We understand that there are many other products that you may have been buying from Whirlwind that you may feel don't line up with what we offer. We encourage you to contact your account manager or local CMYKhub support team where we can identify our best comparative product or customise to what you require. Our aim is to help you transition with the least amount of complication for you and your customer."