This ensures strength, stability and a more expansive service coupled with an investment programme designed to put the new organisation at the forefront of its field, said a spokesman for Abbeygate.

Its Ashford office is relocating to Woking and installing a new B1 press. Abbeygates London office stays put in Rivington Street.

The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

PrintWeek revealed that Optichrome was poised to acquire the company last week (PrintWeek, August 28).

Abbeygate runs Heidelberg sheetfed presses and has CTP kit for services including design, mailing and distribution as well as print and personalisation.

Optichrome has two five-colour Roland 705R B1 presses and Xerox DocuTech 6180 and 6135 digital printers. Its work mix includes brochures, posters, stationery and directories.

Both made the illustrious PrintWeek Top 500 club of 2002. Optichrome, which has a management-information arm, was sitting pretty at 431 with sales of almost 4.8m. Abbeygate was at 267 with sales of nearly 8.1m.

Ted Stephens, Optichrome chairman, was unavailable for comment on his plans for the enlarged business.

[O] We mistakenly referred to Abbeygates print plant as being in Ashford, Kent in a previous story. It is in fact located in Ashford, Middlesex. Apologies for any confusion.