Dealer Suddenly Cancels Sale of Chocolate Company Assets

Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. at the last minute / æt ðə læst ˈmɪn.ɪt / (idiom) – at the latest possible time before something happens
    Example:

    We were all worried that the delivery wouldn’t arrive on time, but it came at the last minute.


  2. bound to (do something) / baʊnd tə / (idiom) – meant to do something or become something
    Example:

    The business is spending more than it earns, so it’s bound to close.


  3. work out (something) / wɚk aʊt / (phrasal) – to make an effort to do something or make something happen
    Example:

    The marketing team brainstormed all night and worked out a solution to the company’s dropping sales.


  4. facilitator / fəˈsɪl.ə.teɪ.t̬ɚ / (n) – someone who helps something happen
    Example:

    The facilitator for the sale helped the buyer and seller solve their disagreement.


  5. grievance / ˈɡriː.vəns / (n) – a complaint against something unfair
    Example:

    The employees are not happy with the company’s new policy, so they took their grievances to social media.


Article

Read the text below.

A deal to sell the assets of Max Brenner Australia was cancelled at the last minute.


Max Brenner is an international chocolate company that was founded in Israel in 1996. Since then, it has opened numerous stores in other countries, including Japan, the Philippines, and Australia.


Recently, however, Max Brenner Australia could no longer sustain its operations due to increasing costs and other challenges. As a result, half of its stores are bound to close.


In an attempt to keep Max Brenner Australia running, the owners of the company worked out a deal to sell the Australian stores. An agreement was reached to sell the stores to Tozer and Co., which invests in struggling companies. Investment firm Binder Dijker Otte (BDO) was the facilitator of the sale. However, BDO suddenly announced that the sale was cancelled for reasons still unknown.


A BDO representative said that it would continue to look for other buyers. Tozer and Co., however, was disappointed over the cancellation and considered taking legal action against BDO. Current staff members of Max Brenner Australia took their grievances to social media after finding out that they may not be paid anymore from October 17 onward.


After the outrage from Max Brenner employees and Tozer & Co., BDO clarified what had happened. According to a representative, the only cancelled deal was the agreement for Tozer and Co. to purchase Max Brenner Australia’s assets. These include the stores, stock, equipment, and staff.


The deal to purchase the license to run Max Brenner Australia, however, was still effective. In other words, Tozer & Co. could already operate Max Brenner Australia, but with its own resources, employees, and stores.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• If you were part of Tozer and Co., would you also try to save Max Brenner Australia from closing down? Why or why not?
• What do you think Max Brenner should do to stay in business? Discuss.

Discussion B

• Why do you think some companies have difficulty staying in business?
• In what situations do you think a struggling company is no longer worth saving? Explain.