PrintWeek understands that the Leicester web offset printer is in the process of completing a large catalogue job for a long-standing customer, and that staff have been told they will be employed until at least this Friday (29 May).

A source close to the company told PrintWeek that managing director Jonathan Sankey was paying the wage bill out of his own pocket in order to honour the firm’s commitment to the customer.

However, neither Sankey nor administrators at Deloitte have confirmed this. 

Chris Farrington and Rob Harding from Deloitte were appointed as joint administrators of The Artisan Press on 14 May. Parent company Artisan Press Holdings is not in administration and is not directly affected, according to Deloitte.

Five possible expressions of interest in the business have been mooted.

“The bindery seems to be the key asset,” said a source. “I would be amazed if anyone buys the print business as a going concern.”

Artisan’s bindery is capable of producing 60,000 books an hour. Its newest piece of kit is a highly-specified 24-station Muller Martini C18 perfect binding line. Wyndeham Group, which is in the process of relocating some of its own binding kit, is understood to be potentially interested in the C18. 

One of the firm's major binding customers is Argos.

A Deloitte spokesman said there was no immediate update on the situation at the company, with a further statement likely to be later this week. 

Although the administrators had called for customers to continue to support the business, competitors including York Mailing Group and Wyndeham have apparently picked up much of Artisan's work already.