The acquisition will form part of the Manchester group's G&H Web Offset division, which also includes a plant in Chorley.

JCM was placed into administration with Begbies Traynor in May when most of its 70 staff were made redundant.  "We're going to advertise for staff and we have a good management team in place to run it," said G&H director Dave Hatton.

David Moore, joint administrator and a partner at Begbies Traynor, said he was "pleased that we have been successful in agreeing the terms for the sale of the business".

The buy, which takes G&H sales to 20m-plus, gives G&H its first foothold in the 16pp web market JCM runs an 8pp and a 16pp Heidelberg, as well as an 8pp Muller Martini Concept. G&H Web Offset in Chorley runs two 8pp machines.

Hatton said the firm had been looking to step up to 16pp for some time and had looked at buying WE Berry, which was closed in February, and Neston Colour, which is in administration. "JCM was the best bet for us," he added.

The move was triggered by demand from G&H's existing clients for 16pp work as well as the exit of several players from the market. "There's a lot of print that needs to be absorbed somewhere, and if you look in the North West there's nobody with a 16pp web," said Hatton.

G&H's sales will now exceed 20m and the company is aiming to "move up to the mid-20s". The group re-branded all its companies under the G&H banner last month.

Story by Lauretta Roberts