Directors from the Bertelsmann print subsidiary will announce the plans at a press conference in the Marriott Hotel in Speke tomorrow.

Arvato chairman Hartmut Ostrowski and chief executive Stephan Krauss will give the announcement about the 75-acre site on a disused Merseyside airfield known as Estuary 2. A spokesman for Arvato said that there would be no surprises.

The plant is expected to initially employ 400 staff, with four presses. If it is a success, it is then expected to grow to 12 presses, providing 1,000 jobs.

Alan Turley, executive director of enterprise and innovation at the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), will also be at the ceremony, according to the Liverpool Daily Post.

It is believed that a 7m grant from the NWDA to support the scheme swung Arvato's decision to build in Liverpool, after it ruled out sites in Derby, Sheffield and South Wales.

Liverpool City Council has not yet received a planning application on the site from Bertelsmann. However, an application has been made for a "data centre with 177 car parking spaces" for the Estuary Business Park in Speke from Littlewoods Property Holdings. It is not clear whether the application is related to Bertelsmann.

Arvato already runs a data services centre in Liverpool, and the Liverpool Daily Post reported this morning that the new print plant will produce catalogues for clients including Littlewoods, Argos and Next.

Littlewoods was unavailable for comment.

Story by Josh Brooks