Acquisitive European book group CPI has bought German printer, J Ebner Graphische Betriebe in Ulm.


This latest deal comes hot on the heels of a minority stake purchase in German book printers Clausen & Bosse and Frenz Speigel Buch (also based in Ulm) at the end of last year.


Its new acquisition prints around 60m paperback and hardback mono books a year, and has sales of over 30m (DM90m).


CPI Group president Timothy Bovard said the buy would "establish a balanced sales profile" in its four main geographical areas: France, UK, Benelux and Germany.


"In addition we will develop synergies between the three German plants, in particular Ebner and Franz Spiegel," he added.


CPI is the biggest player in the UK book market. It owns the former LIBERfabrica group, as well as paperback plants Mackays and Cox & Wyman.