The addition of the 27m turnover Newcastle-based firm takes the firm's total print management revenues to more than 150m, and chief executive David Jones said that this, together with disposals and restructuring, meant Communisis' transformation was "nearing completion".

The group said Dataform was complementary to its Centurion business and had "attractive synergies" with its Document Services and Logistics divisions.

Ironically, Dataform had itself been acquisitive over the past three years, and had ambitions to become as big as Williams Lea or Astron. 

"We started to reflect on what the future held. When you are building a multi-hundred-million pound print management business you are exposed unless you have some production and it was becoming difficult to secure the right capacity," said Dataform chief executive Brad Holbrook, who will remain with the group.

Communisis has also released its interim results for the six months to 2 July. 

During the period turnover from continuing operations was 131m, a decline of 800,000 on last year. Operating profit dropped 25% to 8.5m and exceptional goodwill and reorganisation costs lead to a pre-tax loss of 9.9m (2003 profit: 5.4m).

The group also made a 700,000 provision for the possible closure of its loss-making Gateshead label factory (PrintWeek, 9 September), which could involve a loss of 4.4m.

Communisis' shares fell 4.5p to 104.5p on the news.

Story by PrintWeek staff