Product launches were overshadowed by Victoria Carpets' future.

While the second day of Domotex repeated that of Heimtextil by being busier than day one, the talk among UK exhibitors and visitors was not of the thousands of new products being launched but that of the future of a company not showing here: Victoria Carpets.

On Friday the company put itself up for sale after the intervention of the Anton family-led consortium seeking to take control of the board without bidding. It wants bids and the issue resolved by the end of February. The word from Hannover was the plan may work. May being the important word.

The consortium has yet to ask for the general meeting at which it wants to oust Victoria's non-executive directors, but insiders said they thought this may happen on Monday.

The problem is that the consortium does not have the support of more than 50% of shareholders, and so may delay such a move until it can garner more support. The Anton family owns about a third of Victoria's shares and with the support of the largest non-family shareholder (Fortess Finance Investment Inc as of last June), the consortium is understood to speak for 46% of shares. However not all members of the family are backing the consortium – and they are backing the board. A lack of information on an alternative business plan from the consortium, the value of Victoria's dividend policy (£14.30 a share since 1997 and a payment that has been going up), Victoria's trading and the performance of its share price compared to the wider stockmarket have been cited as reasons. And of course with most families, relationships are not all sweetness and light.

If the other non-family shareholders support the board, then the consortium cannot win, but it only needs a relatively small number of shareholders to come on board to reach the magic 50% plus one share level. Hence Victoria's move to put itself up for sale in the expectation that the consortium won't be able to fund a takeover.

Of course this leaves it open to someone making a bid – a MBO has been suggested and that Nikki Beckett, the chairman may step in, with the fortune she earned from the retail system firm she founded and successfully sold. The potential UK trade buyer that could easily afford a takeover – Headlam – is highly unlikely to step in, given that it is a distributor not a manufacturer, although never say never with Headlam, and of course a venture capital bid would not be unexpected.

What is certain is that if the consortium succeeds, expect a very quick change of management at Victoria.

And on the topic of management, Victoria's may wish to redo Christmas in the summer, given that they must have spent (almost) ever hour responding the consortium's efforts. And of course all those advisors don't come cheap, which will impact on shareholders' dividends later in the year.

A few more blog points: darts world championship commentating really doesn't work in German – there is no excitement; THE Domotex party was actually very civilised (and no injuries); the reservation system on German trains seems to have broken down; hotel Internet should not be this slow and tomorrow it'll be about IMM Cologne, as it is the final leg of 'German Week' (with three days at home) before it's the fun of the NEC.

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