Op de facebookpagina van Catmodels.com staat het volgende:
“NEW CATERPILLAR SCALE MODEL LICENSEE
Caterpillar Inc. is pleased to announce Diecast Masters Company Limited (Diecast Masters), as their new scale model licensee, effective August 21, 2015, replacing both Norscot and Tonkin Replicas.
Although new to the program as a licensee, Diecast Masters management has a rich history of brand and product development for Caterpillar, spanning 26 years. Specific to scale models, Diecast Masters owners and managers have been involved in manufacturing and distributing Cat diecast for more than 14 years.
The focus of Diecast Masters’ business will be 1:50 scale model replicas, although 1:87 and other scales of models will also play important roles within their Cat scale model line. Production will commence immediately with some models available through a worldwide distributor network before the end of 2015.”
Diecast Masters blijkt een nieuwe merknaam te zijn van een Australisch bedrijf, Custom Originals Australia, dat onder meer al als importeur voor Norscot en Tonkin CAT-modellen actief was. Die hebben in een forum verder laten weten:
“Diecast Masters was formed through the purchase of the Cat scale model businesses of both Norscot and Tonkin Replicas. Many of the former Norscot and Tonkin items will constitute the basis of the Diecast Masters line of Cat scale models, especially in the early stages. Diecast Masters is also launching an aggressive program of new model development that will be evident in full force during 2016 and going forward from there.”
Toch wel heel opvallend nieuws, niet? Misschien horen we de redenen nog wel eens.