Joint administrators of the Bristol-based company David Matthews and Nigel Morrison of Grant Thornton UK were appointed on 2 June. They are continuing to trade the company as a going concern.

Matthews said: "As we are seeing throughout the rest of the sector, APB had been experiencing difficulties for some time despite having an excellent customer base.

"The level of the company's turnover just couldn't support itself. However, we have had a lot of interest in both the company, kit and site."

In July 2006, the Wiltshire-based digital packaging printer The Complete Product Company acquired the APB, which then had a £3m turnover (PrintWeek, 6 July 2006).

At the time, The Complete Product Company said it was intended that the two companies would maintain independent identities.
APB has worked on a variety of jobs for the public and private sectors, including fine art prints, hand finished and case bound books to corporate periodical print, brochures, point of sale, ring binders and leaflets.

It produces prints from one to six colours on most papers and boards.