Printwells, based in Tunbridge Wells, ceased trading on 30 April.

The company’s 28 employees were sent home on 29 April and company owners managing director Garry Anthony Jeffery and finance director Jacqueline Ann Jeffery engaged licensed insolvency practitioner David Thorniley, managing director of Kent firm Traverse Advisory, to advise them last week.

Thorniley told PrintWeek the company will be placed into voluntary liquidation on 20 May.

Former members of staff will be eligible for the government’s statutory redundancy and pensions schemes, but will not be able to claim until the company liquidation is complete.

Thorniley said it was not possible to say how long this would take as it depended on how long it takes to realise Printwells’ assets. A creditors’ meeting will be held in due course.

PrintWeek understands that the company owners also own the Printwells building and the land it stands on.  

One former staff member said: “We were called into a meeting last Wednesday morning. They said they will put a package together to try and save they company if they can."

The former employee said he did not see the company, a litho, digital, screen and wide-format printer, would be viable as a going concern.

“The machines were so old. As far as I can see it’s all going to be sold off,” he said.

According to the employee, Garry Jeffery had made no secret that he had moved into the funerals business, where he judged that companies were “complacent”.

“It’s not a bad market, there’s money to be made in people dying unfortunately,” the former Printwells employee said.

“The marketing and the sales staff [at Printwells] were in the process of setting up a celebration for 25 years – everybody’s very sad about it.”

Garry Jeffery and Jacqueline Ann Jeffery established Henry Paul Funerals LLP on 9 September 2009, a different company from Henry Paul Funeral Directors, based in Ruislip, west London, which was founded in 1880.

Printwells is listed as member of the Henry Paul Funerals limited liability partnership and both companies use Tunbridge Wells accountancy practice Wells Associates as their registered office.

It last filed abbreviated accounts for the year to 31 March 2011 and has been exempt from filing since.

Printwells printed its first job in 1989 and expanded into a company that offered “complete marketing and print solutions,” according to its website.  

Thorniley is advising the company owners and has not yet been appointed as liquidator at the time of writing. The company owners were not available for comment.