12 months in the industry

2024 in review: September

Eight Group's Simon Scott had his Lego design idea turned into a hugely popular set

As 2024 comes to a close, we look back at the big stories of the past 12 months.

Kite Packaging’s site in Kent was damaged for a second time by activists from Palestine Action... Customark continued a string of purchases with the acquisition of Charnwood Label Craft and sister companies Kingsbury Screens and Industrial Screen Print... Sirane had an estimated deficiency of around £2.5m when it went into administration, it was revealed... Over 60 lots related to rock band Oasis were to be featured in an auction, including prints of the band... OT Group, owner of Office Depot and the Spicers wholesale brand, declared it would withdraw from the UK and Ireland, blaming difficult trading conditions... PressOn helped Wrexham AFC rejuvenate its stadium... Eight Group postal services manager Simon Scott became one of a select group of people to have a Lego set idea turned into an actual product... Northend celebrated 135 years in business... The Spectator was sold for a whopping £100m to hedge fund tycoon Sir Paul Marshall.... RNB Group had an estimated deficiency of more than £2.5m when it went into administration, it was revealed... Imagink relocated from Aylesford to a larger facility in Maidstone and invested in a raft of new kit... XplorerGroup completed its acuisition of Kall Kwik... Historic print firm Stephen Austin acquired Hertford Offset following the retirement of its owner... Guardian Media Group owner The Scott Trust reported a drop in sales along with a big increase in operating losses, and was considering a sale of Sunday stablemate The Observer... Epson was set to acquire Fiery in a deal worth around £445m... Netherlands-based Print.com launched its UK online B2B print platform... Acorn Press Swindon and MPD Offset completed a merger... New Mid Cheshire MP Andrew Cooper officially opened Coveris’ new conversion hall at its facility in Winsord... A 500-year-old print by German Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer sold at auction, 13 years after it was rescued from a tip... Barnwell Print was in the process of an orderly shutdown, with the firm’s name and goodwill sold to fellow East Anglian printer Micropress... Approach Print went into voluntary liquidation... The Printroom UK secured £1.3m from Metro Bank to help fund growth...