The business has been acquired by ESP owners, brother and sister team Mark Handford and Bridget Massey.

Handford said he had approached Beacon in the summer, and from then the deal had come together over the past six to eight weeks.

"I couldn't really think of anything else for Christmas," he joked.

Beacon owners Mark and Wendy Fairbrass are retiring from the industry.

Mark said: "We feel sure this merger, bringing together the resources of two neighbouring successful companies at a time when the industry is under great economic pressure, will bring huge commercial benefits and an assured future for Beacon and its graphic design wing Beacon Creative."

Handford said that he is in the process of finalising plans for new investment in pre-press, printing and finishing equipment, which will be spread across both locations.

He emphasised the two firms would continue to be run from their respective sites as separate companies, with all employees being retained.

Beacon has long been a trailblazer of environmentally sound business practices, and is one of just seven companies in the UK to be awarded the Wildlife Trust's Biodiversity Benchmark.

Story by Andy Scott