John Ford and The One Centre are back
The One Centre, Sydney, which went into voluntary administration,with up to 25 staffers losing their jobs and owing four million dollars to creditors in April, 2009 (as reported exclusively by CB), is back in business, with founder John Ford at the helm.
This from a press release issued today on the agency website:
The new company – The One Centre Group Pty Limited – will focus on developing multi-disciplinary branded arts and entertainment initiatives and is backed by private equity firm, The Adcock Group.
“The new One Centre will be positioned as an arts and entertainmentcompany developing unique branded properties, platforms and programsfor clients,” Ford said.
“The arts is the most exciting space Ican see. It offers our clients a whole other world of creativity. Ourdis- tinctive capability will be ‘strategy + artistry’.”
Flexiblystructured, with a core team of strategists and producers and globalnetwork of artists, the company will work from concept to publicrelease, strategising, conceptualising, producing, distributing andpromoting its arts and entertainment properties across media.
Itsmulti-disciplinary approach will include graphic arts, digital arts,film and video, performing arts, architec- ture (exterior andinterior), industrial design, fashion, photography and music.
Conceptswill include combinations of films, shows and documentaries, artworksand installations, theatrical events, exhibitions and experiences,retail concepts, buildings, digital interfaces and experiences, music,identity, collateral, publications, products and merchandise.
Theprevious One Centre was placed into voluntary administration in April2009 in the midst of the GFC after a large international client infinancial difficulty failed to pay, leaving the business with acash-flow crisis.
The One Centre was one of Australia’s largestproject-based creative companies with over 60 staff. Clients includedAudi, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Woolworths, Mars, IAG,PricewaterhouseCoopers, GE, Red Cross, Freedom Furniture, Jetstar andNakheel.
Growing at an average of 50% year-on-year for nearly adecade, the company posted its best-ever trading month in September2008 – just as the GFC struck.
“The One Centre was a fantasticcompany hit by the perfect storm,” Ford said. “A $1.25 million bad debtin Dubai, sharp downturn, costly downsizing and no capital life-lines.
“Theproduct was great, people highly talented, clients blue chip – it wassimply a financial catastrophe that took us out prematurely in thedarkest days of the GFC.
“Unfortunately, we suffered from ourexport success,” Ford said. “Over 50% of our revenue was from inter-national clients. I think many people didn’t quite understand the GFCcarnage outside Australia.”
Ford secured the The One Centretrademark and IP from administrators Grant Thornton in May 2010. Fordplans to rebuild The One Centre’s client base over the next two yearsand is making headway.
“A top 5 global company has hired us todevelop a branded entertainment platform launching in November. Andwe’re working with an iconic Australian brand, an industry leader, totransform its retail experience.
“I believe the new One Centrewill be a better business for what’s happened. I feel I have allnecessary expe- rience and I know what it takes to build a greatcompany.”
Ford founded The One Centre in 1999 after head ofstrategy roles with leading creative advertising networks, Batey andTBWA. In 2005 the The One Centre was cited by BRW Magazine as a Fast100 Company. In 2007 Ford was named by Adnews Magazine as one of,’Forty under 40 rising stars’ in marketing.
Ford has a BA from the University of Sydney and as is currently doing an MBA with the Australian Graduate School of Management.
14 Comments
The AdCock group? Seriously?
“I believe it will be a better business for what’s happened…”
Read…
“I believe it will be a better business for my owing staff and creditors $4million – largely based on the fact that I was unable to control my ego”
Yes 1:36pm, The Adcock Group, not to be confused with the Mike Adcock Group who performed at The Bath International Music Festival! And no, 1:36pm, you banal capitalisation of the letter ‘C’ in the middle of the word to emphasie the word ‘Cock’ did it’s job; at least is so far as it highlighted what a puerile twat you are!
That’s Mr. 1:36pm to you.
Respect.
Julian
Anyone know if the staff who lost their jobs in the “perfect storm” got paid all of their entitlements? If they didn’t, I imagine there’ll be a few people who might be somewhat angered by this.
The staff got paid none of their entitlements.
He waited until two days before pay day to pull the plug – so they didn’t get paid for a month either.
And a few weeks before he closed it down, he tried to talk someone who was resigning to go to a good job into staying – even though he knew it was going under.
It wasn’t my fault!
I thought people who went into voluntary administration weren’t allowed to head up another company for a few years. That’s what i thought. And now i’ve stopped thinking.
Think about others for a change otherwise TOC v2 will be gone before we know it. Check your ego son and look after your staff, would be a top start for this business.
As seen on a bumper sticker in Manly
(HONK) if John Ford owes you money.
Any body that is genuniely smart or talented has learned their lesson and will never work for this man again. Perhaps John doesn’t realise his ego is much larger than the small industry he is playing in.
Another load of BS – all the same crap packaged differently and still not willing to take responsibility for the mess he made of too many people’s lives…
“It wasn’t me, it was the GFC”
Potential clients & staff…beware
All I can say, is if you’re a strategist, producer or one of the global network of artists, Insist you either get paid upfront or charge danger money.
The One Centre (version 1) going under probably had very little to do with the GFC & more to do with….
…the multi-million dollar office expansion and renovation, and the entire office floor devoted for his office, not to mention his Porsche, and the apartment rented full time just in case a client came to town, and the TV studio and pricey editing equipment for One Centre TV . Oh, and the fact that some of the agency’s resources were dedicated to agency marketing, self promotion and pro-bono work for the church.