Acorn Press Swindon and MPD Offset both ceased trading on 31 January 2025, with all 59 employees across the two firms made redundant.
Huw Powell and Andrew Hook of Begbies Traynor (Central) were appointed as joint liquidators for both companies on 27 February 2025.
The Swindon businesses had previously completed a merger in September 2024.
Managing director Simon Evers told Printweek shortly after the closure of the companies that, despite substantial investment in many areas, it had not been possible for Acorn or MPD to achieve the required sales volumes, while a weakening market in the last 12 months materially impacted business.
According to the notice of statement of affairs for Acorn Press Swindon Limited, filed at Companies House earlier this month, estimated total assets available for preferential creditors totalled £21,750, with plant and machinery and equipment with a book value of over £265,000 estimated to realise just £5,250.
The company’s estimated total deficiency as regards members was just shy of £3.85m.
Among the unsecured non-preferential claims were trade creditors, listed as being owed just under £603,000, while 57 employee claims totalled just under £574,000. Connected entities were owed more than £133,000.
The notice of statement of affairs for the smaller MPD Offset Limited revealed estimated total assets available for preferential creditors of just over £79,000, although plant and machinery, equipment and fitting with a book value of more than £61,000 was estimated to realise only £935.
MPD’s estimated total deficiency as regards members was just under £435,000.
Among the unsecured non-preferential claims were trade creditors, listed as being owed nearly £163,000, while associated companies were owed over £95,000.
Acorn Press ran a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106 B1 five-colour plus coater and Ricoh wide-format kit. It also offered various digital printing services. MPD had B2 litho capabilities and operated digital kit from Xerox.
Begbies Traynor had still not responded to any requests for comment at the time of writing and there had been no update on what had happened to the company’s assets.
Acorn and MPD’s sites were based a stone’s throw away from each other in the Wiltshire town. Last year’s merger took the combined group’s sales to £10m.
Note: Acorn Press Swindon is entirely unconnected to Normanton, West Yorkshire-based printer Acorn Web Offset.
