A leading media-based production storage company has appointed administrators on Tuesday (February 24) after two decades of successful sales. On Tuesday, an 'Appointment of Administrators' notice for GB Labs Ltd, based in Aldermaston, Berkshire, was published on the London Gazette website, revealing that Stewart Goldsmith and Nicola Elaine Layland of Leonard Curtis had been appointed. 

GB Labs is a global leader in intelligent shared storage solutions specifically designed for the media and entertainment industry. Since its founding in 2000, the company has focused on solving the unique challenges of creative workflows, ranging from high-speed video editing to post-production and long-term archiving. However, with the appointment of administrators, the company's directors have lost their day-to-day management powers, and control has been handed over, with the primary duty now shifting from the shareholders to the creditors - those to whom the company owes money.

Unlike standard IT storage, GB Labs' systems - such as the SPACE and FastNAS lines - are engineered to deliver high-performance throughput and scalability, allowing multiple users to collaborate on massive media files simultaneously without performance lag.

The company distinguishes itself through a proprietary software ecosystem, centred around the CORE Operating System, which optimises data handling to minimise hardware requirements and energy consumption. Their technology suite includes tools like Unify Hub for global file management and Mosaic, an AI-powered asset organiser that automates metadata tagging. By offering a "buy as you grow" model with no per-user licensing fees, GB Labs provides flexible, cost-effective storage infrastructure for everyone from boutique post-production houses to major international broadcasters.

Following the appointment of administrators, the company directors are required to provide the administrator with a detailed list of assets and liabilities to assist in finalising the valuation of the business. Then, within eight weeks, the administrator must issue a formal proposal to all creditors detailing their strategy - whether that involves selling the business as a going concern, restructuring it, or winding it down to distribute remaining assets.

Paresh Raja, founder of Market Financial Solutions, said: “This is an extremely difficult moment for everyone connected with Market Financial Solutions. As a family-founded business that has been built over nearly 20 years, this is not a decision that has been taken lightly."

The lender noted that while the underlying business remained asset-backed and operationally sound, the board concluded that placing the company into administration was “the most responsible way to safeguard value and provide stability during this period and allow operations to continue under the supervision of the court”.