MLS was the company everyone loved to hate in the UK business centre industry. Either it opened too many centres, or it priced its workstations too cheaply, or it didn't pay its suppliers on time, or it didn't pay its landlords on time or it and its management were just plain odd.

All of these things were true at some point at least and now, after surviving many months of rumour and speculation, it finally has gone. The only centres still trading under the MLS brand are believed to be those in India. The UK network has been broken up with locations being taken over by MWB, Citibase, Forsyth or other stronger operators or closed down altogether.

Whatever one might feel about MLS while it was alive, its departure was well managed with little, if any, comment appearing in the press and few clients losing money as a result, although some were inconvenienced by having to move out at short notice no doubt.

The fact that MLS has been the only casualty of note in the business centre sector is proof if any were needed of the resilience of this industry in difficult times. The contrast with the property industry in general couldn't be more clear. Whereas the Estates Gazette and Property Week carry stories of property companies going bust in every issue, the counter-cyclical strengths of business centres have proved critical once again.