Two long and hard years of recession have seen many established and respected UK companies fall by the wayside, leaving thousands unemployed as a result. For an agonising few months back in 2008, it seemed that 165-year-old printer Butler and Tanner was heading in the same direction.

Administrators at UHY Hacker Young were appointed to the Somerset book printer in May that year and nearly 300 staff lost their jobs, following MPI chief executive Mike Dolan's controversial closure of the company. For customers, clients, suppliers and staff, it seemed the final chapter of this book printer was coming to a close, without a happy ending.

Enter our hero of the tale: publishing mogul Felix Dennis. In a scene-stealing, last-minute rescue, the entrepreneur and book aficionado injected a large sum of his own cash into the business, ensuring that a buyout could be completed and the story could take a more positive path.

A team effort
It would be unfair to attribute the happy ending to Dennis alone. Playing a vital supporting role was current managing director Kevin Sarney, who led his management team diligently through the administration process, meaning that the Frome printer was able to re-open its doors in August 2008, four months after its closure.

Two years on, and the renamed Butler Tanner & Dennis (BT&D) has put the drama of that turbulent period behind it. The business employs around 100 staff and has grown its service offering substantially. "It's very different today. We've re-established ourselves and we have a vision for the future," Sarney says. "You want to achieve certain goals but you also have to adapt to what's facing you. We've learned an awful lot about BT&D and, actually, we're in a position to move this business forward."

The company has invested heavily in capital equipment across the board, while the launch of a fine arts service and on-demand corporate reports offering have added two new strings to the printer's bow.

Chinese whispers
More recently, it has introduced an on-demand book printing service and announced the formation of a strategic alliance with Chinese printer Beijing Shengtong Printing. Charged with leading that new service and developing the company's international ties is Richard Bean, who was recently appointed to the role of strategic sales director. "Last year, we looked at the business - we looked at where it was and, following a great year, we looked at the book landscape," he explains.

According to Bean, the company held "lots of talks and discussions" about competing with printers overseas, especially on price. "As the quality from our Chinese alliance is no longer an issue, we decided that rather than working against China, we could work with them," adds Bean.

Through its new partnership, BT&D offers customers the ability to order volumes from overseas and ‘top up' on orders, if needed, from the company's Frome printing plant. It's a move Bean feels is "de-risking" for the publisher and, despite launching a Great British Books marque aimed at promoting UK-printed books to consumers last year, he passionately declares the marque is "as valid today as it was when we launched it".

He explains, "the commercial reality is that it is not viable to keep all work in the UK so we have offered a viable alternative to out customers".

The results so far have been wholly positive, according to Bean. "We can, and have, gone to publishers with a book printed litho at Frome, a book printed digitally at Frome and a book printed in China. They can't tell the difference and that's a testament to the quality."

One to watch
While only time will tell how successful a service BT&D's overseas venture will prove to be, it is indicative of the transformation of a company that at one stage was dangerously close to liquidation. "There are a lot of opportunities for us to develop the business further, but it's never a straight path and you can only control the controllable," says Sarney.
Thanks to the optimism and passion of Felix Dennis, BT&D has been given the opportunity to come through the recession and set positive targets for the future.

Speaking to PrintWeek at the end of 2008, Dennis said: "People must have thought I had completely taken leave of my senses when buying Butler and Tanner - I would imagine so anyway. But if the company ever fails again, it will not be for the want of trying." And with Sarney and co-heading up the cast, it looks like the story of BT&D is set to be a good read for some time to come.

BT&D FACTFILE
Established 2008
Location Frome, Somerset
Managing director Kevin Sarney
Staff 100
Services colour book printing, corporate reports, fine art printing
Kit three KBA Rapida 162s, one KBA Rapida 105, two Kodak Nexpress 2100s, plus Kolbus, MBO and Billhöfer finishing equipment