Printweek has learned that a Notice of Intention to Appoint Administrators (NOI) has been filed for the historic Deanprint business, which dates back to 1890.
The NOI was filed on 4 April. Deanprint, acquired by Manchester Printers Group eight months ago, had been described as “the jewel in the crown”.
An industry source in the North West said they were devastated at the Deanprint situation. “This has greatly upset me. Deanprint has an incredible history and incredible craftspeople. It would be very sad if that company were to close.”
The latest filings on the Gazette relate to Allenco Ltd, which trades as Wheatsheaf Print; Print Designs (Wilmslow) Ltd, and Berkeley Business Forms Ltd.
Virtual meetings of creditors took place today (6 April) for Allenco and Print Designs (Wilmslow).
The equivalent meeting for print management firm Berkeley Business Forms is scheduled for 12 April.
A virtual creditors’ meeting was held last month for Signature Printing Ltd (previously Make Your Own Garments Ltd), with a resolution for voluntary winding-up being passed on 15 March.
The insolvency practitioners handling the matters are Richard Cole and Steve Kenny of KBL Advisory in Sale, Cheshire.
Cole and Kenny were also appointed as the joint administrators of Jameson Print Finishers on 9 March, with the firm’s former owner Michael Berry stepping in to salvage the situation by buying back its business and assets.
Berry has set up a new company, Jameson Print Finishers North West.
Separately, Chelma Graphics is back in independent ownership after Manchester Printers Group ceased to hold a position of significant control over the Chester company as of 21 March.
Manchester Printers Group had acquired it just over a year ago.
Amanda Harding is now the firm’s director and majority shareholder. She was one of the original co-founders of the business back in 1987 and became its general manager after a previous change of control in 2018.
She told Printweek: “I’m happy to say that I’ve bought it back. We were quite successful and we didn’t really fit into the plans of the group because we couldn’t move over to Manchester – all our customers are North Wales based, and I’d already said we wanted to come back out of the group.”
Harding said that suppliers and customers were happy that the business was back in her hands and she was optimistic about the future for the company, which has had its best year since the pandemic.
Chelma Graphics offers a range of services including design, litho, digital and large-format printing.
Regarding the other businesses in the group, Manchester Printers director Sarah Pinkney had previously told Printweek that legal advice had been sought on each individual company’s viability to trade as a going concern.
The remaining associated businesses where Pinkney is a director are: Manchester Printers Group, Manchester Printers, Deanprint, Dean Holdings, DJK (Holdings), HCM (Commercial Printers), National Signs & Display, Cheshire Printers, Source It Online, Oink Oink, and 11 separate ‘MPG SPV Ltd’ numbered companies.
Pinkney had not made any further comment at the time of writing.
