The deal was completed on Monday evening (24 October) and Croydon-based Olwen has already been rebranded as Howitt, while London's VMT (formerly Vertis Marketing Technology) has become Data Lateral.
Howitt chief executive Nick Dixon said the deal added "another string to our bow and gives us a southern base".
Croydon's mix of data-centric short- to medium-run DM campaigns, along with digital printing, SMS and email marketing complemented Howitt's Nottingham plant, which produces a variety of personalised products along with marketing literature and inserts, said Dixon. "We can now offer a range of services from one copy to several millions."
This is the second acquisition for Howitt, which was last week named PrintWeek Printing Company of the Year, in as many months.
In September it acquired 1.8m-turnover digital print firm Eden Lithographic Reproduction, which has since been rebranded as Howitt Digital.
Howitt group sales have been lifted from 38m to 52m by the two acquisitions. "We're probably the largest independent DM production house in the UK," said Dixon.
Scanlon's Overgoal has retained Frog Fulfilment in Swindon, previously known as Vertis Fulfilment Services. Scanlon said he was "delighted" the deal closed so quickly.
Print investor and restructuring specialist Scanlon acquired US-based Vertis' UK DM operations on 4 October. The Leicester operation, which comprises a print site in Wigston and a mailing site in Bardon, was immediately placed into administration.
The Wigston site has since been closed by administrator UHY Hacker Young, which was negotiating a deal to sell Bardon as PrintWeek went to press. Howitt has been tipped as a potential purchaser.
Vertis UK timeline
- 4 October Mark Scanlon's Overgoal acquires the businesses
- 5 October Leicester placed into administration
- 12 October Scanlon rebrands businesses Olwen (Croydon), VMT London) and Frog Fulfilment (Swindon)
- 24 October Howitt buys Olwen and VMT; rebrands them Howitt and ata Lateral
- 24 October Leicester print plant closure announced
Acquisitive Howitt buys Olwen Direct and VMT from Scanlons Overgoal
Howitt has acquired Olwen Direct Mail and VMT from Mark Scanlons Overgoal, which bought them from Vertis at the start of October.
