In his absence the company, now led solely by his brother Matthew Deith, has moved to strengthen its position in today’s turbulent distribution market. Following a deal just over a year ago that saw the publicly listed Photo-Me International (PMI) purchase the company, both sides of the agreement realized that, due to the prevailing market conditions, the synergy that existed between the two firms had diminished. For that reason, Deith has bought the company back from PMI with the help of new investors from within the industry. This new investment will allow Deith Group to concentrate on its traditional core business – the buying and selling of machines that are in demand in the industry at any given time. This refocus, with longtime associate Steve Bryant in the role of sales director, will see an enlargement of the sales team and a move to new premises near Watford, north west of London. “The company is now leaner and meaner than it was two years ago,” says Bryant. “We rode on the crest of the Section 16 wave, with good video sales and a buoyant marketplace, but that situation has changed and so has the company to reflect that. “The restructuring gives us a lot more flexibility in our approach to that market and it gives me the scope to be able to go out and handpick products that will be benefit us and our clients alike. We have freedom to follow market trends as and when the happen, rather than to continually appease a PLC and board of directors that, quite rightly, always have an eye on their shareholders.” This is good news for the firm’s raft of customers who have come to rely on the Deith Group to source the right product at the right price. The company’s longstanding relationship with firms such as Sega, Harry Levy and Triotech will continue, as will its current lines from Recreativos Presas, Ainsworth UK, Electrocoin, CMS and Smart Industries. In addition to its distribution lines, the firm does not rule out the development of further gaming product in the future, perhaps in conjunction with other manufacturers. “There’s no step away from gaming as such,” explains Bryant. “But the business always dictates the areas we will focus on. With the gaming market being what it is at the moment, with so much uncertainty surrounding what’s happing with the new law and how local authorities are going to deal with licensing and what have you, we’ve moved the development of new product to the back burner.” For the meantime however, the Deith Group will concentrate on what it does best, and what the family name is best known for – selling. With Matthew taking care of the day-to-day running of the firm; his father, industry legend Bob Deith, still around to offer advice when needed; and Steve Bryant leading the sales force, who’s to say the Deith name won’t still be central to the industry in another five decades?

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