The trio, once united at Colorgraphic in Leicester before it changed name and ownership under the Vertis umbrella, are behind the bid to save the company, it emerged this week.

Dixon has been out of the industry for a number of years but is known to have been looking to make a return since 2002, when his three-year non-compete arrangement with Vertis purchaser Big Flower ended.

KPMG Corporate Recovery is understood to be considering the bid, on an exclusive basis, having spoken to a number of interested parties at the weekend. These included bids from The Print Factory in Northampton, an unnamed non-print related plc, and a possible MBO from Howitt chief executive James Elliot.


Joint administrative receiver Allan Graham confirmed that Howitt ran into difficulty due to the high level of borrowing, costly acquisitions and expansion plans, combined with a difficult and competitive trading environment.

Sources close to the company said that costs associated with the Equator gravure superplant plan, combined with a failure to speedily unite its midlands operations on a single site, had largely led to the collapse.

The core of the Howitt business remained sound, however, Graham said. As a result we are in serious negotiations with one party and are hoping to make a going concern sale soon, he said.

GPMU regional officer Kevin Hepworth said Howitt continues to operate as normal for the 346 staff and no redundancies had been made. The administrators are in but everybody is too busy to speak to me at the moment, he said.

It is not clear whether Elliot is still at the company and he was unavailable for comment.