East London-based Alito appointed administrators KRE Corporate Recovery on 7 February after Agfa-owned consumables firm Litho Supplies filed a winding-up petition against the business on 31 January.

It now emerges that a new company called Mambo Direct was incorporated under the directorship of Michael O’Halloran at the same registered east London office as that of Argall Solutions and Alito on 12 February, a day after all 40 members of staff at the firm were made redundant by administrators.

Alito’s trading address (listed on its website as Alito House, Leyton Link Estate, Argall Avenue, London, E10 7FD) is different to its registered office. Administrators confirmed to PrintWeek that the trading address was to be vacated and keys returned "or locks changed" on Tuesday (26 February) and was not being used by O’Halloran.

Attempts to contact O’Halloran via the phone number listed on Alito’s website – which was answered as "Mambo Direct" – were unsuccessful.

Details of Alito’s administration remain unclear, as PrintWeek understands that there is an ongoing ownership dispute involving plant and machinery between KRE, acting on behalf of the collapsed company, and the previous owner of Alito.

KRE said that a full plant list would only be made available when the dispute was settled, but that it could confirm Alito owed around £650,000 to trade creditors and more that £200,000 to HMRC.

It also said the firm’s book debts were assigned to Bibby Financial Services and that several items of machinery were also on finance.

Litho Supplies’ winding-up petition (preceded the appointment of administrators), is due on 18 March.

It is understood that Litho Supplies stopped trading with Alito last summer, after the printer missed repayments, and that although it recouped most of the debts, Litho has struggled to retrieve an outstanding £8,000.