Haslam, previously sales director, becomes managing director of the 39-year-old Bermondsey firm after buying it from Paul and Piers Benwell for an undisclosed sum. 

The company was formed in 1966 as small offset and silkscreen printers BB Benwell & Co. In 1994, after buying foil blocking and embossing specialist J&R Sebard, it became Benwell Sebard.

With 19 staff, Benwell Sebard is primarily a Heidelberg house, with one single-colour and two two-colour GTOs; two platens and a cylinder with foil conversion; and one letterpress platen; as well as a Geitz foil blocker and two Meteor hand presses.

"Our reputation is for award-winning, high-quality work," Haslam says, "and I plan to continue this."

"We are installing a new MIS next year and will increase our foil blocking capacity, as well as increasing our market share in stationery printing."

By Sasa Jankovic