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Hornby APPOINTS NEW CEO

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MGR Hooper!

MGR Hooper!

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Hornby APPOINTS NEW CEO

Hornby Hobbies Ltd has today announced that it has appointed Lyndon Davies as the company's new Chief Executive Officer. Lyndon Davies will be a familiar name to many in the railway modelling hobby – he is the Chairman of Oxford Diecast.

The Hornby announcement (published on the company's website) states that "He remains the majority shareholder of LCD Enterprises Limited ("LCD"), the ultimate owner of the Oxford Diecast brands." and goes on to say that "Hornby is exploring the opportunity to invest in LCD".

Following his appointment, "Lyndon Davies will appoint Tim Mulhall and Simon Kohler as operational consultants who will report directly to him and the Board."

 

 

 

Got this from facebook, forgotten which page I saw it on, but due credit to them for posting.

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it's-er

it's-er

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Goodness - that is a surprise! As railway modellers, we couldnt have hoped for someone better, and 'we' get Tim and Simon as well. Suggests good things on the model railway front - just hope it doesn't distract managemental attention from Oxford Diecast and Oxford Rail.

 

John Storey

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Scottish-Exile

Scottish-Exile

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Stock market announcement:

 

"Hornby Plc, the international models and collectibles group, today announces Lyndon Charles Davies, aged 56, has agreed to join the Group as CEO. Mr Davies is Chairman of Oxford Diecast (“Oxford”), a business founded in 1993. He remains the majority shareholder of LCD Enterprises Limited (“LCD”), the ultimate owner of the Oxford Diecast brands.

 

A highly-experienced model and hobby professional with 40 years’ experience in the industry, Lyndon has built Oxford Diecast into a successful international business over the past two decades focused on diecast vehicles, aircraft and, more recently, rail based products.

"Hornby is exploring the opportunity to invest in LCD. Further information will be released in due course.

 

"As a result of this appointment, Steve Cooke, the current CEO, will step down from the board with immediate effect.

 

"Lyndon will be appointed to the Board following satisfactory completion of the customary due diligence for listed company board appointments. A confirmation announcement will be made on this shortly.

 

""Lyndon Davies will appoint Tim Mulhall and Simon Kohler as operational consultants who will report directly to him and the Board.

 

"Tim Mulhall specialises in building routes to market and strategic sales development. Tim has also spent 20 years as a business entrepreneur in the model and hobby industry, five of which working directly with Hornby through OnTracks, a business which managed the distribution of Hornby international products.

 

"Simon Kohler is a highly-respected industry veteran in the model and hobby industry, having spent 35 years with Hornby. During a long career at the Group, Simon worked in many roles, covering most of the brands; notably he worked with Hornby Rail and Scalextric during their most successful years.

 

"These appointments are part of a strategy to complement the Group’s existing management with additional highly experienced model and hobby expertise.

 

"Commenting on the appointment, David Adams, interim Chairman, said “I am delighted to welcome Lyndon to the board. His obvious expertise in and enthusiasm for the toy and hobby industry will provide the Group with experienced leadership for the next stage of our development. Hornby will continue with its Turnaround Plan and Lyndon is ideally qualified to steer the Group through this period."

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Scottish-Exile

Scottish-Exile

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So will we see Oxford and Hornby merging at some point?

 

Great news though.

 

From Facebook Model Collectors, attributed to an email from Lyndon:

 

"LCD and its operating companies in China and North America owned and controlled by myself continue to run as an independent group of companies – so things continue as normal on the Oxford front.

 

"As many of you know Oxford is a family company, in recent years Eloise my daughter has played a big role in the running of the company, having herself been introduced to manufacturing at the age of two, on the production lines of the Swansea factory. Earlier this year she stepped up to roll of Managing Director and continues to expand and promote the Oxford brand under my guidance."

 

 

Of course, from a business synergy perspective ...

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jjb1970

jjb1970

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Lionheart and Dapol to be repeated with Hornby & Oxford? I see a lot of opportunities to take advantage of Oxford die-cast expertise to turn Corgi around and Hornby train expertise.

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PhilJ W

PhilJ W

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So will we see Oxford and Hornby merging at some point?

 

Great news though.

 

 

I think so, if nothing else there'll be a merging or streamlining of manufacture.

It will take some time I think for the two brands to merge. Two different  business profiles and different manufacturing profiles. Oxford has only one brand covering all products, diecast and model railways wheras Hornby operates two separate companies covering model railways and diecast as separate enterprises. Oxford has its own factories wheras Hornby 'buys in' its manufacturing. Hornby also has Airfix and Humbrol under its wing which has no equivalent in the Oxford 'empire'. The diecast side of the venture I can see being dominated by Oxford simply because they are now the market leaders but on the model railway side of things its hard to judge.

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G-BOAF

G-BOAF

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Interesting devevlopment. Very good that it is an industry insider with real knowledge and passion for the sector.

Does this mean we may at some stage get matching liveries/finishes on the Class 43 and Mk3 coaches (if Oxford release them as HST trailers...) (I can but dream...)

Agree the point about the Radials....

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wombatofludham

wombatofludham

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I love the way everyone seems to be reading today's announcement as some sort of declaration of intent for the two companies to merge.  I've seen nothing that says that - Hornby are only "considering" making an investment in Taff's company, and Taff's daughter is taking over at Oxford.  In fact he says the two companies will remain seperate.  Given the way Hornby over the years has yo-yo'd from being a toy company to model company then back to toys and Olympic tat then become a target for shadowy investment groups, if I was Taff I'd make absolutely sure that Oxford were kept way out of Hornby's mitts just in case they have another change of heart, and some investment group take the company over and start trying their luck at something else, so I could return to running Oxford.

 

Hornby have lost the plot more than once and returned to core model retailing more than once, so it could happen again if there is a future boardroom battle.

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DCB

DCB

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Lets hope the Titanic Hornby operation doesn't drag Oxford Diecasts down with it.  I was looking forward to a nice Oxford die cast  die cast King with the actual ability to pull a train (unlike the Hornby one) some time in the future

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