Completed last Monday (4 November), the deal came about when a mutual industry contact made the introduction between Witney-based Fine Print and Banbury-based Technique this spring.
Fine Print managing director Dan Bakewell told Printweek: “[Former Technique director] Karl [Smith] felt Technique was at risk of plateauing and was looking for an exciting way to move the business forward, whilst also allowing him to step back a little from the operational side and focus on his customer relationships.”
Technique’s property was on a lease which is being surrendered and is not part of the acquisition. All of the firm’s 14 staff were offered jobs at Fine Print, with the majority accepting, though Bakewell said a couple have indicated they will probably look for local alternative employment “due to living quite a way the other side of Banbury, but they have jobs with us in the meantime”.
Three of Technique’s staff have already moved across while the remainder will join them at Fine Print’s 2,320sqm site later this month, as soon as Technique’s Heidelberg Versafire printer and Horizon stitcher can be moved across.
“Technique has an amazing and well-deserved reputation plus an incredible team; we look forward to working together to create a better, stronger company that can offer our combined customer base the quality, service and innovation demanded of the printing industry today,” said Bakewell.
The combined 80-staff entity will turn over £7.5m, £2m of which was from Technique with the remaining £5.5m sales from Fine Print.
Technique will continue as a brand within Fine Print, however the two businesses will be operating as one combined company.
All of Technique’s sales and management team have come across as part of the deal, including Smith, who will act in a part-time customer-focused consultancy role.
Smith said: “Fine Print presents an incredible opportunity for our team and our customers to thrive among the much wider range of services that Fine Print can offer.”
As well as the Versafire and the Horizon stitcher, other kit acquired by Fine Print from Technique as part of the deal includes a Polar guillotine, an HP Latex wide-format printer, and a Heidelberg platesetter, to complement and back up Fine Print’s own Heidelberg platesetter, plus a range of finishing kit.
This all joins Fine Print’s existing conventional and LE-UV Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 75s, an HP Indigo digital press, a Heidelberg Versafire, a SwissQprint large-format printer and a Zünd cutter.
“As well as the SwissQprint and Zünd technology in our graphic display team, we have a very sophisticated storage and fulfillment operation, both new services that we will be able to offer the Technique customers,” said Bakewell.
“Our LE-UV XL 75 also allows for a wider range of substrates as well as stunning vibrant print on uncoated paper.”
Together, Technique and Fine Print will serve a diverse range of healthcare, education, creative, retail and luxury brand customers.
