"We’re in ongoing discussions with the administrators at Hyway. As far as we are aware there are no other companies interested in them. We believe they have a good reputation and quality blue-chip clients," said Scanlon.
A Hyway source said that Alito Color chairman Terry Brady had also been spotted at the Surrey Quays-based company.
However, the Ormolu Group, which had been tipped as a potential merger partner for Hyway prior to its takeover of Waddies, has ruled itself out of the running.
RSM Robson Rhodes partner Daniel Smith, the company’s administrator, said there had been healthy interest and that there were offers on the table.
"We don’t comment on who’s shown an interest or made an offer. But there are certainly some well-known names in there," said Smith.
RSM Robson Rhodes has been forced to make 17 redundancies out of a workforce of 105, but has no plans to make any more cuts and the company is trading as normal.
Hyway’s directors placed the company into administration on 12 July after Trade Indemnity withdrew its cover (PrintWeek, 19 July).
In the year to 30 November 2001 the company recorded a £1.5m pre-tax loss on a turnover of £16m. The previous year it made a pre-tax profit of £821,076 on sales of £16.6m.
Alito Color and Thomas Potts were rivals for the acquisition of the assets of Walthamstow-based Keldia Printing, which was eventually won by Alito Color subsidiary Masterspeed.
Story by John Davies
