Inverness-based Highland Printers, which has a 2.7m turnover, and 3.8m turnover Nevisprint in Fort William have been acquired by NBH Holdings.

Final legal processes are currently taking place, but NBH plans to be fully operational by early April.

Nevisprint and Highland Printers will continue to operate separately under the parent company and will have a combined staff of 100.

NBH will be an Heidelberg house. Highlands Printers currently operates a four-colour SM 74 press and two MOs, while Nevisprint has a five-colour CD74 and four-colour SM 74 with image control.

Highland Printers chief executive Trudy Morris (pictured right), will head the new group. "On the back of this acquisition we hope to make a major investment," she said.

NBH has not ruled out further acquisitions in the near future and said it hopes to increase its turnover by 1m over the next five years. Most of NBH's output will be from general commercial work and short- to medium-run magazines.

Highland Printers, formerly part of Scottish Provincial Press, has a long history in the Highlands, at one time printing the Highland News Group titles The Highland News, North Star and Lochaber News.