The acquisition adds further digital print capability as well as business supplies and office interior supplies to £6m-turnover John E Wright’s offering.

The deal is being finalised over the coming week and will be effective from 1 January 2022.

Under the agreement all 15 staff, with the exception of co-owner Kevin Rhead who is retiring after 46 years in print, will remain at Hussey Knights, bringing the total workforce of the combined businesses to 70. The operation will be newly branded as John E Wright incorporating Hussey Knights.

“It’s a well-deserved retirement and a super friendly acquisition,” John E Wright managing director Tony Barnett told Printweek. “Kevin approached me and asked if we would be interested in buying the business. It’s a really good fit and we are very excited about it.”

“On the print side there is a lot we can offer and we intend to invest £300,000 on that side of the business by the end of Q1 next year,” he added.

Nottingham-headquartered John E Wright has additional sites in Derby, Leicester, Oxford and Hull and with the purchase of Hussey Knights, the 122-year-old business has expanded its operations to the south and east.

“Hussey Knights have excellent management, sales and production staff and, with the significant investment already set aside for the print operations in both Norwich and Brentwood, will help us to grow into the East Anglia, Essex and London markets,” he said.

The combined businesses will operate as two separate divisions: Signage, exhibition and digital, which has seen strong growth in flexible and rigid signage and display graphics, since technology investments in 2019, including a Zund cutter and a circa-£480,000 EFI Vutek h5 UV roll-to-roll/flatbed hybrid.

The second division, headed by remaining Hussey Knights director Keith Shepherdson in Norwich, will focus on business supplies, print equipment and interiors. Investments on the site, early next year, will include a new Mimaki flatbed device and Zund cutter.

“I am really glad that Keith is staying because it gives continuity and he is really highly-regarded in the industry,” said Barnett.

“It’s fantastic because on the print side we operate a hub and spokes strategy with the really big kit at Nottingham, so the branches do 80% of their work locally and 20% gets sent to Nottingham if it’s a really big job.

“And on the other side of the business we have a highly respected large-format printer business, mainly HP DesignJet, and combined with Hussey Knights our machines in field will go up from 1,000 to well over 1,500, which will make us one of the largest suppliers to the architects, engineers and construction (AEC) markets in the country.”

Shepherdson said: “I am really pleased to have been asked to join Tony on the group management executive with primary responsibility to drive forward the business supplies and interiors division.

“Together with my new enlarged team, we look forward to providing solutions to all manner of large-format print requirements, with engineers and sales staff covering the east of England from Newcastle in the north to London in the south. Our primary focus is the AEC market where we have over 25 years of experience specialising in large-format print solutions at highly competitive rates.”

The office supplies operation would develop a combined offering such as furniture and display graphics to businesses such as car showrooms, Barnett added.

Outgoing Rhead said: “Although looking forward to my retirement, I have known Tony for over 25 years and know he will invest in the staff, equipment and new technology to grow the operation in the future.

“I feel I am leaving my staff and customers in safe hands. John E Wright’s network of branches leaves growth opportunities for the existing business and staff alike.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers for their support over the past 46 years,” he added.

Barnett said it had been a remarkable year for the business, despite the pandemic, with five extra staff joining the firm over the last five months, meanwhile going forward, a focus on green technology would continue, Barnett said, with a commitment to replace all company cars with electric by the end of Q1 2022.

In 2017 the business acquired small-format business Instaprint, taking on its team of five into John E Wright’s head office Blue Print House in Nottingham.