Member Article

Cramlington firm Potts Print acquires Bakershaw Print

Potts Print (UK) Ltd, the Cramlington-based printing, packaging and direct mail specialist, has acquired North Tyneside commercial printing company, Bakershaw Print Ltd., for an undisclosed sum.

Potts Print (UK), which currently employs 140 staff and has an annual turnover of £14 milion, has collaborated with Bakershaw on several print projects and has formed a strong commercial relationship, which led to today’s announcement of their formal merger.

There is ‘no time like the present’, comments Michael Sandford-Couch, CEO of Potts Print (UK): “Bakershaw is the perfect fit for our commercial and digital print division, which is rapidly expanding and will occupy its own standalone factory in Nelson Park later in 2014”.

Barry Billingham, managing director of Bakershaw, adds, “Potts Print (UK) have all the technical and physical ‘fire power’ at their disposal to absorb the Bakershaw turnover and to ensure the customer base continues to enjoy the high level of service that we have endeavoured to provide”.

Barry, fellow Bakershaw director and shareholder Geoff Armstrong, and all Bakershaw employees will relocate to Atlas House, the Potts Print (UK) Northumberland HQ this summer. The Bakershaw Longbenton factory will cease production and will be closed later this year.

Potts Print (UK) expansion plans include further trade acquisitions in the North East and further afield: the CEO said, “I have had early stage discussions with several owner-managers seeking a potential strategy for exit or retirement from their business and I would expect to complete another acquisition in the Litho, Digital Colour, Direct Mail or Wide Format Printing arena towards the end of 2015.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Potts Print (UK) .