Mergers and acquisitions

Paragon Group has followed up its acquisition of OfficeTeam and ZenOffice in the UK with the purchase of the Spicers Ireland business.

The final two businesses in Landry Kouakou’s short-lived print empire are now in administration, with the business and assets of one operation sold to a retail marketing specialist.

Axel Springer chairman and CEO Dr Mathias Döpfner has urged German and European leaders to “decouple” from China and forge closer alliances with the US and post-Brexit UK instead.

Go Inspire Group has recorded 15% jump in profits in the year to 31 March 2020 and is poised to play a role in the inevitable post-lockdown consolidation of the UK print industry.

Paragon Group has acquired the OfficeTeam and ZenOffice businesses after parent group Spicers Office Team (SPOT) went into administration.

Agfa has completed the sale of its HealthCare Information Solutions business, with fresh CEO Pascal Juéry stating that the near-€1bn proceeds will be used to “secure the future of the company”.

US print giant LSC Communications has appointed investment bankers to explore a sale of the business that could see it broken up.

Progress has been made in Kokusai Pulp & Paper’s takeover of merchanting group Antalis, with two key steps now complete.

Xerox has scrapped its attempt to carry out a hostile takeover of HP due to the global health crisis caused by the Covid-19 virus.

A nationwide network of accountancy firms has warned that nearly one in five SMEs will not survive the next month due to the Covid-19 situation unless more effective rescue packages are put in place.