Independent paper merchant Moorgate Paper Company has acquired Clarence Paper Sales from the administrative receivers, securing 40 jobs in the process.

Clarence Paper Sales, based in Yeovil, was one of the businesses put up for sale when Capital Paper (Holdings) Group was put into administrative receivership in November last year (PrintWeek, 30 November 2001).

A spokeswoman for London-based Moorgate Paper Company said the buy was a development of Moorgates business into the south-west and, like Moorgate, it will specialise in the supply of papers to the printing industry.

Joint administrative receiver for Kroll Buchler Phillips, Lee Manning, said the business of Living Planet, which trades as Thomas Wyatt, had been sold to Beever Paper, the company set up by former Capital Paper (Holdings) Group company secretary and finance director Graham Berry (PrintWeek, 20 December 2001).

All 32 jobs at the Manchester-based stationery and office supplies business have been secured. It will now operate under the Beever Paper name. Berry joined forces with former Zodiac Paper managing director Peter Symonds to form Beever Paper.

Story by Andy Scott