The three West Yorkshire-based businesses will operate under the umbrella name while also retaining their different identities from a trading point of view.

AB Print Group managing director Alan Williamson said: "There is strength in numbers, and there is also a cost saving by joining forces.

"We have always had an eye on diversification. We used to operate three sites, but now all three companies operate out of the Batley factory."

In 2002, AB Co purchased screen printer Wellan Studios and digital printer RW Reprographics and in May 2007, made a £2m investment in new machinery and purchasing its premises in Batley.

Kit at the site now includes a five-colour Kodak Nexpress, two five-colour Komori presses, a Zund digital cutter, an Inca Spyder 320 and an SPS cylinder press.

The company has also invested £40,000 in a wind turbine at the site, which now produces around 10% of the company's energy.

Williamson said: "It's all gone well. We want to get a message out to customers that we aren't pigeonholed, we do it all under one roof and we don't have to outsource anything."

He confirmed that none of the 50 staff at the £3m-turnover company had been made redundant following the merger.