Bnp Agrin Share Discussion Threads

[locutus of borg] 24/3/2005 19:40

Lord r asks about resurrection but that may not be the only Easter connotation yet to be revealed.

Has this lord been betrayed by the keeper of the disciple's money?

Does this story pack a gilt ridden Judas?

Will it end at Akeldama or this time has Judas climbed the tree rather than hang from it?

It looks to me like the stone has been rolled back and the tomb is empty but is it resurrection or grave robbers?

[richpoorkid] 24/3/2005 12:23

With the freedom of information act we should be allowed to see the directors renumeration packages? How di they spend all that money that they raised?

Also, I am sure that the Company never released the fact that they had had warranty issues until long after the fact (during which time a lot of money was raised) surely this is fraudulent?

[richpoorkid] 24/3/2005 12:21

Anybody here get advised to buy AVT by Phillips? Talk of a class action in the air if anyone wants to join in.

[lord r] 23/3/2005 16:42

Regarding RAMAR sale

As this is Easter time does anyone believe in a resurrection or has the stone not been rolled away.

[dis] 18/3/2005 09:18

Someone on iii was enquiring about the rumour that Ramar had been sold...any comments here?

[car973] 18/3/2005 09:11

Although I only lost a few sobs on AVT (sold before the demise), I realise that my ongoing curiosity is akin to a by-stander at a crime scene. Come on chaps from AVT, what more scurrilous 'goings on' have there been?? Spill the beans...please!

[richpoorkid] 18/3/2005 08:51

Nothing more to say here...?

[jotoha1] 14/3/2005 18:31

It's not lights off at all. There are things going on which will make your blood curdle....usual story...stuff the shareholders and walk away with the oportunity to restart again...watch this space!

[car973] 14/3/2005 17:19

Poobah

Is the shop now closed, everyone laid off, lights off?

[stu31] 13/3/2005 20:18

I note that a couple of former employees have stated that the two-way side of the business has been dead for a couple of years. How then would you explain this RNS from last May:

RNS Number:2586YAdvanced Technology (UK) PLC04 May 2004 Advanced Technology (UK) Plc has raised #800,080 through the placing of 4,444,889 New Ordinary Shares at 5p each ('New Ordinary Shares') at a price of 18 pence per new Ordinary Share. On 24th February 2004, the Company reported that it was in the final stage of discussions regarding the development of its potential Two-Way Fixed Network project in Ghana and was at advanced phase of negotiations with an electricity utility company in respect of another Two-Way project. Although these discussions have taken longer to conclude than previously envisaged both utilities are showing every indication of wishing to conclude the formalities with the Company within the very near future.

Are you saying that this is a clear lie and legal action could be taken against the incumbent directors?

[jotoha1] 13/3/2005 18:36

Now come on we all know the city is full of evil vipers. The writing was on the wall 18 months ago and EJ was instumental in keeping the interest going on this one...he is a ramper of the first order...remember MEDI something or other...ramped from 2p to 90p by EJ and where are they now.....!!!!!

[deehill] 13/3/2005 13:03

Of course you wont get any comment from the people who have pillaged this company BUT the unfortunate thing is that it WILL BE REPEATED in numerous other small(but, often, quite brilliant ) companies. Most touching, perhaps, is the comment by a 'former' employee indicating how Directors who knew their business were sidelined by 'smart asses' who merely created paper and more expenditure - probably to their considerable benefit. Unfortunately there is a loophole which enables men who wouldnt, under previous tighter controls, have been permitted to stand in the street and beg outside some of these companies, to take control and drive them into the ground. Harrogate is another prime example. Regrettably it is a case of 'buyer beware' to prospective stockholders but what is truly sad is that so many bright people are being sold down the river in employment terms by an element who should be behind bars. Time for you UK stockholders to oranize a 'punishment squad' capable of administering the sort of deterrent that the UK Financial System seems incapable of doing. A few broken legs and disappearances under the cornerstones of buildings would soon ensure that order was restored. Believe me, it works in other countries of the World and it COULD work in the UK.

[car973] 13/3/2005 12:27

Denethor, thanks for the insight. Disturbing that material issues were kept under wraps.

Any of the current or former management care to comment?

[safman] 12/3/2005 18:46

interesting comments..

saffy..

[denethor] 12/3/2005 17:34

Lord R says "Can we get the views from any other ATL employees please."

Yes - and if there were better protection for "whistle-blowing" company employees you might have had them a lot sooner! Fear of losing employment seeming faintly ridiculous by now...

Yes Lord R - here are my PERSONAL views on the company (ATR) and by implication AVT (UK) Plc "as was" i.e. only concerning events occurring before March 2005 - please NOTE: I held no managerial position or special knowledge. I comment only on what I saw & where I venture opinions I hope I make it very clear that it is only my personal opinion:

Over the last couple of years it has been interesting and funny-sad to read so many excited posts on this BB about possible "two-way" contracts when employees knew that the stuff had been shelved (literally) and that the RAMAR products were the only major source of income. Unfortunately there were some problems with these products that had to be sorted out: the technical issues WERE sorted out but I believe other aspects of the operation that needed attention were neglected. There was, for example, an extreme reluctance to fire anyone for unacceptably poor performance or incompetence. Alan Sugar could have had a field day :-)

One new RAMAR product became available two years ago and (so far as I could see) was given no proper product launch and hardly any promotion at all - despite thorough and costly development plus a commitment to volume manufacture. Ironically, the RAMAR products that are able to be made now are far more robust: they could turn a profit and the range could be expanded and updated sensibly as demand grew and technology moved on. The "big 2-way breakthrough" (Ghana etc.) was a nice idea but today you would probably consider re-designing because some of the technology is out of date and/or potential component obsolescence would need careful checks...

I believe that as time went on the "2-way breakthrough" became little more than a mantra for shareholders - who had the seen the value of their shares fall time after time - and a season travel and meal ticket for those who were still attempting to sell the stuff!

FWIW (and of course with 20/20 hindsight) I think the company decision to halt all development activity on the ATL 2-way system (as was) should have been made public. This would have required courage(!) since a lot of money had by then (I'm guessing) been raised, repeatedly, based upon the ATL 2-way system expectations...would that be correct? I think it may have given a better sense of purpose and focused the business effort to get everything out in the open - but I am naïve about such matters and no businessman... A clear mission statement made regarding the new strategy of the company re: RAMAR product portfolio (Establish a reputation of product excellence in the USA, increase USA sales + exploit potential markets in the EU and elsewhere) could have been made at this point and some dead wood cleared out at the same time...

Of course, people who had invested a lot of money might have raised serious concerns at such a turn of events, but isn't that what AGMs / EGMs are for? A reminder: I conjecture all of this as "what if" scenarios - idle thoughts if you will. Employees were not always kept informed of the company strategy (often it simply "became apparent") although in some ways it became clearer towards the end.

If you asked me to pick the major causal factors contributing to failure, without getting bogged down by details, I would suggest:

Poor management (i.e. incompetence)
Inadequate financial control
High cost structure
Acquisition*

*This last is a bit of an odd one: it is arguable that, since ATL had not been able to achieve any significant uptake of the 2-way AMR system, if RAMAR had not been acquired the company would have been in trouble sooner because it would have had no income to speak of at all. However, a lot of expense was incurred during the process that *may* have instead been able to turn the 2-way into a real product. What if... What if... What if... It's all a bit meaningless now though isn't it?

One more thing: there are a few annoyed "ex's" posting on this board at the moment - anyone can venture an opinion but we can only speak for ourselves as individuals - I for one needed to get that lot off my chest, sorry if it was a boring post.


"Say goodnight to the folks, Gracie."

[car973] 11/3/2005 11:02

Bags I be the remuneration director. But could you just let me know when things start to go pear-shaped so that I can organise my exit package smartly.