Light goes out of Aster Colour

Thirty-year-old Melbourne family business, Aster Colour, closes down shop.

According to David Vasudevan, a liquidator and partner at Pitcher Partners, the Victorian business, founded by Bob Brown, ceased trading on Friday 27 February. 21 employees lost their jobs.

Vasudevan said that Pitcher Partners is currently working with Aster Colour’s director, Michael Brown, (son of Bob) to secure the company’s assets and determine its financial status.

“We are also undergoing a sales process,” Vasudevan said. “There has been a lot of interest for the company’s goodwill, customer list and some of its assets. We are completing an information memorandum and notifying print companies of the possible sale of the business.”

Aster Colour recently purchased a used 10-colour press and in 2006 Brown brought in paper salesman, Steve Ell as a partner to further develop the business sales.

Calls to the Bayswater office went unanswered and there appears to be little activity happening.