Completed 10 February, Hague Group bought out DCB, which consists of print management company Print Search, design agency Caspa and on-demand printer Aspen, for an undisclosed sum from its cash reserves.

DCB, which was not undergoing any administration process, had been struggling since the pandemic and was looking for buyers, according to Nathan Wain, group director of Hague Group.

He told Printweek: “DCB was successful prior to the pandemic, and since then they have lost their way, rather than anything major. The owner was looking to move on and sell the business pre-pandemic, so I think had mentally moved on.

“Fundamentally, it had lost a couple of big clients, and was declining. It just needs a reboot, and a bit of guidance, really.”

DCB Group’s businesses, which have all retained their full staff and branding in the deal, will offer a good deal of benefits to the wider group, and vice versa, according to Wain.

“DCB has some great clients, and we will be able to tap into their production capability, as we will be offering real all-round turnkey solutions to clients.”

Hague Group has also moved its Manchester operation, Hague North West, to DCB’s larger Manchester site.

“It’s a great site: it just gives us a greater scale in what is a key area for us. Manchester is booming, so it’s great to have a good facility there.”

The new companies have added around 30 employees to Hague Group’s staff of more than 150, and will bring just under £5m turnover to the group’s own of roughly £55m.

The Hague Group also bought print management firm PSL in early summer 2022.