Despairing duopoly dominates April’s headlines

03 May 2022

Companies & suppliers

You could be forgiven for having a strong sense of Déjà vu when checking out April’s listicle of our most-read stories, although Paragon thankfully managed to shoulder its way into our top 10 to break the doom and gloom as did the even more welcome news of the end of the UPM strike as the month drew to a close.

1 Administrators take charge at YM web plants 14,906 clicks
YM Group’s plans to be a dominant player in UK web offset have collapsed into chaos, with FRP Advisory appointed as the administrator of the group's three web division businesses, and staff left unpaid.

2 No word yet from Pricoa on YM web debacle 11,418 clicks
YM Group backer Pricoa is yet to comment on the collapse of the group's three web offset sites, which were placed into administration yesterday.

3 YM web and bindery kit up for sale 10,073 clicks
Printing and post-press kit from YM’s Pindar and York Mailing sites is being offered for sale by private treaty.

4 UPM strike: despair as union rejects proposals 8,508 clicks
Printers and print buyers are in despair after the Finnish Paperworkers' Union rejected the four UPM strike settlement proposals on the table – apparently due to the impasse at Communication Papers where talks had stalled. The strike has been extended yet again as a result.

5 Magazines run late after YM web collapse 6,739 clicks
The fallout from the abrupt closure of YM Group’s three web offset sites continues, with some weekly titles running late and all eyes on the Daily Mail’s first in-house production of its Weekend supplement this Saturday.

6 Agreement reached over UPM strike 6,635 clicks
The Finnish Paperworkers' Union has agreed a settlement proposal to end the devastating long-running strike action at UPM.

7 UPM strike extended again 5,627 clicks
Strike action at UPM will run for an unprecedented four months, after the Paperworkers’ Union announced a further extension until 30 April.

8 Deadline looms for YM web sales 5,331 clicks
It’s a crucial week for future web offset capacity in the UK as the deadline looms for bids on YM Group’s former web offset sites and assets.

9 Paragon buys Williams Lea CCM wing 5,281 clicks
Paragon Customer Communications has further expanded its offering after snapping up Williams Lea’s three CCM sites in the UK.

10 Information gap over what's next for YM Group 4,640 clicks
Three weeks on from the abrupt administration of YM Group’s web offset sites, major backer Pricoa is yet to comment on the situation – which left hundreds of employees unpaid – or on its future plans for YM’s remaining businesses.