Trust Media Distribution - The new name for STL Distribution
IN A TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT issued late yesterday afternoon – just after 5pm – Trust Media Distribution (previously trading as STL Distribution), Carlisle, announced the sale and privatisation of the company to its CEO, Ken Munro.
The change follows an extensive period of restructuring and consolidation within the company as it has sought to realign itself with the changing realities of Christian retailing in the UK, during the course of which it has reduced staffing levels whilst expanding its reach into the secular marketplace with an increased focus on gift product and, most recently, reduced its range of Christian publishers bringing its role as a Christian wholesaler to an end.
Exactly what the change of ownership might imply for Christian retailers remains to be seen, but the evidence of the facebook conversations thus far indicates a distinct sense of uncertainty and disorientation within the trade…
Pete Barnsley responds: Business as usual at TMD
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TMD Links
January 10, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Definitely still trying to understand the implications of this but, presumably, trade customers should receive a letter soon to clarify.
January 10, 2012 at 2:53 pm
Could someone please explain this to me as I thought STL was part of John Ritchie group?
January 14, 2012 at 11:08 am
Until the sale, both John Richie and Trust Media Distribution (The new name for STL Distribution) were owned by the Lords Work Trust, a charity in Kilmarnock.
Recently, TMD has been spun off into a separate entity (which it still was, to all intents and purposed) under the ownership and direction of Ken Munro, who was acting as CEO of TMD for the Lords Work Trust.
John Ritchie Ltd. is a trading name for the customer-facing business activities of LWT, so in a sense, TMD was part of John Richie group, but LWT was the “parent” charity for both, until TMD was recently privatised.
Hope that makes sense.
January 10, 2012 at 5:22 pm
Purchasing any retail business in this economic climate is a brave move so congratulations to Ken Munro for purchasing TMD and having the desire to see it grow and become firmly established. I think that all our thanks should go the the LW Trust for rescuing the business a couple of years ago and keeping it going and I hope that this move will ensure consistent supply of the range that TMD carries.
January 11, 2012 at 11:46 am
[...] report on the sale of Trust Media Distribution to the company’s CEO, Ken Munro, Another twist in the post-STL tale as TMD enters private ownership. Emphasising the security and stability that this transition brings to the organisation and its [...]
January 24, 2012 at 10:46 am
[...] THAT the recently announced sale and privatisation of Trust Media Distribution would secure the future and bring stability to the organisation have been crushed as yet another [...]