PrintWeek has attempted to contact the company for clarification, amid mounting speculation about the company’s future.
This morning director Matt Hawthorne said he was not prepared to comment, although he said the company was talking to its suppliers and customers about the situation.
However, one supplier to the business said he had heard nothing official about its status.
It is understood that staff have been sent home.
The £7m turnover firm’s litho setup includes eight- and ten-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster 102 long perfector presses and it also has Ricoh digital kit. The company specialises in high-quality colour print.
Hawthornes employs around 53 staff according to its last-filed accounts, and is located just outside the city centre. It is one of the longest-established family businesses in the area.
The business posted a small operating profit in the last two years for which accounts are available, its most recent figures are for the year ending March 2011, when it made a £119,000 pre-tax loss.
A former employee told PrintWeek that staff were allowed in to the factory to collect their belongings yesterday.
