Bankrupt Swiss cladding maker Schmidlin is to reveal its new owner next week.

The receiver for Schmidlin Facade Technologies, which went into administration last month, is understood to have set a deadline of today for bids.

Mike Hollis, Schmidlin UK's managing director, declined to reveal the names of interested companies, but said: "We are very hopeful of a conclusion to this in the next week, and for full production to start in the coming days."

Hollis added that production had started "flowing out of the factory" in Aesch, Switzerland. Work had stopped on 22 February and almost 750 jobs were put at risk.

Schmidlin's subsidiary in the United Arab Emirates, which is not affected by the bankruptcy, is thought to be one of the bidders. Another unnamed Middle Eastern investor is understood to be considering an offer. Swiss newspaper the Basler Zeitung has suggested that British and Swiss firms could be interested.

Hollis was this week understood to be meeting UK clients to renegotiate contracts, although work continues at the firm's five major UK sites: British Land's Lime Street, More London on the South Bank, Heathrow Terminal 5, Bovis Lend Lease's Aldermanbury Square and Westfield's White City, which is being built by Multiplex.

Italian cladder Permasteelisa doubled the value of its order book to £180m in the first two months of 2006. It is expected to pick up further contracts in the Middle East, the USA and Europe as a result of Schmidlin's troubles.