power supplies, electronics components, kits and tools, communication equipment, computers, toys, automotive electronics, and consumer electronics. Acquisition by Saltire In December 1994, the private equity firm Saltire plc acquired Maplin Electronics from its founders, with the intention of merging its operations with another electronics distribution business in its portfolio, Altai. Acquisition by Graphite Capital In June 2001, Graphite Capital led the £41 million management buy out of Maplin. Acquisition by Montagu In September 2004, Montagu Private Equity purchased 67% of Maplin from Graphite Capital at a cost of £244 million. In 2007, the company began to relocate its headquarters and distribution centre to a new facility at Brookfields Park, on the former Manvers Main Colliery, Rotherham, two miles from the old warehouse in Wombwell. Maplin discontinued the processing of orders outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland in January 2010. Later in 2010, Montagu said they were evaluating their options with Maplin, because the value of their investment has been realised. It was envisaged that when the market conditions were right, Maplin would float on the London Stock Exchange. Debt free At the end of 2012, Maplin announced it was officially out of debt from its creditor Montagu Equity. Drop ship vending In June 2013, Maplin introduced drop ship vending, allowing them to offer a far greater range of stock for sale online than available in-store. Acquisition by Rutland Partners In March 2014, Montagu Private Equity put Maplin up for sale with an expected return of between £100 million and £200 million. On 27 June 2014, Rutland Partners announced they were acquiring Maplin from Montagu for £85 million. Rutland typically focuses on restructuring opportunities, "special situation" investments. £5m of the capital was provided by Beringea from funds provided by Proven and Proven Growth and Income VCTs. In September 2015, Oliver Meakin was appointed as CEO, setting new strategy for home automation and App based technology. In January 2018, Graham Harris was appointed new CEO replacing Oliver Meakin. It was reported in February 2018 that the company was seeking a buyer, and attempted to enter into a "pre pack" administration deal as part of a sale. Horizon 2015 Horizon Project (2013 to 2015) Chief Executive Officer John Cleland took post of Maplin on 1 March 2013. Following this, he set out plans for the project of Horizon 2015, aiming to recover the historic decline in the business by 2015. The Horizon