Purvis Ltd. has announced two major sell-offs as it continues to break up its once-mighty group.

The group is selling all shares in its subsidiary, Office Equipment, to BusyComm Ltd., effective on December 31, 1992.

Purvis will continue to sell its office machines and other items from Office Equipment's current location at the Walkway, Reid Street, Hamilton.

From January 1, 1993, BusyComm will continue to operate the business from the same premises, which it will rent from Purvis.

In another deal, Purvis is closing the Office Supplies Division of Office Equipment today and selling the inventory to Midsea Company Ltd.

Midsea will sell the products from their new retail store in the Washington Mall, in Hamilton.

Purvis chairman the Hon. Sir John Sharpe said five staff are being laid off as a result of the changes but 16 employees will be kept on under new employers.

He added: "Having been approached by BusyComm and Midsea, respectively, we concluded mutually agreeable negotiations which see most of the staff placed with the new owners and/or given redundancy pay.

"Having sold Purvis Distributors to BGA, the satisfactory disposal of most of the Office Equipment business seemed a logical sequence.

"We were occupying more space in the Walkway than would permit a profitable operation in these recessionary times and to move on would have meant considerable reorganisation.

"Additionally, the major shareholders of Purvis Ltd., no longer being its managers, concluded that business today is best managed by persons also owning the company.

"A major concern of the directors has been for the long-serving loyal staff.

"We have discussed the situation with them and I believe they understand and accept that we have had their interests at heart and that they have been treated fairly and with every consideration.'' The two deals leave Purvis with its buildings and land on Victoria Street, all of which is rented, and with Security and Communication Systems Ltd, which Sir John said was operating "satisfactorily'' and at a profit.

"From a shareholders point of view, Purvis Ltd. is now in a very satisfactory state,'' he said.