Pet food and accessories wholesaler collapses after 110 years in business

A Victorian-based wholesaler of pet food and accessories that has been operating since 1904 has collapsed into liquidation.

Rudducks manufactured and supplied products for dogs, cats, birds, aquarium and small animals and was based in Dandenong, in Melbourne’s east.

Rudducks has been trading for more than 110 years but the Supreme Court of Victoria appointed Philip Newman and David Quin of PCI Partners as liquidators of the business earlier this month following an application to wind-up the company, which was lodged by Victas Freight Express in December 2014.

According to the database of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, ASIC received notice that the court had appointed a liquidator to the company on May 21.

While the business has most recently been trading under the name Rudducks, its previous names included Rudducks Wholesale Pet Supplies, H. Van Der Helm and Pure Breeds Shop.

Newman and Quin are seeking urgent expressions of interest in the business or its assets, which according to an advertisement place in today’s edition of The Australian, include an established nationwide customer base; stock, plant and equipment; and business names, website, copyright, patents and trademarks.

The collapse of the business has clearly left some creditors out of pocket, with one posting on the Ruddocks’ Facebook page on May 19 that he had completed some work for the business in October 2014 but had not been paid.

“They don’t return my calls. Come on … how about a fair go!” he said.

The Rudducks website is currently offline and phone calls to the business this morning went unanswered.

SmartCompany contacted PCI Partners but did not receive a response prior to publication.