The Melbourne, South Derbyshire-based business had completed its acquisition of Dabbon Labels, based in Silverdale, Staffordshire, on Tuesday.
Dabbon’s owner Barry Jones had been in the process of arranging for Positive ID to buy the business, following three years of on and off discussions between the two firms that had never previously come to fruition, but he passed away earlier this month following a period of ill health prior to signing off the deal.
It was ultimately signed off by Jones’ solicitor and Positive ID was handed the keys for the business earlier this week.
The Banbury Labels deal meanwhile, which Positive ID came across after undertaking market research on companies looking for prospective purchasers, had been etched in stone for some time according to Positive ID managing director John Mayers.
“We met the owners, they came here and we went there, and the completion date of the last working day of June was set in concrete. They gave their lease in, we’ve got machine movers booked, and we’re going there to train,” he told PrintWeek.
Both companies were turning over around £100,000 each while Positive ID had a turnover of around £2m prior to the acquisitions.
Banbury’s only two staff were retiring directors Santi Perez and Garnet Thomas while Dabbon's only employee other than Jones was a printer who will now move across to Positive ID, taking its headcount up to around 30. The business is also currently in the process of recruiting apprentices.
Dabbon had been running a Lintec label press and an Aldo Berra hot foiling machine while Banbury was operating a three-head Newfoil label press.
“We’re closing both companies’ premises and moving their machinery to our production facility in Derby over the next fortnight,” said Mayers.
“We’ve currently got a digital EFI Jetrion 4900 with a laser head, an MPS 330mm-wide press and some specialist turreted Dacos for plain labels.”
He added: “It’s business as usual for everybody. We’re currently getting emails and telephone numbers transferred. We’re also now looking at expansion and maybe twilight shifting.”
Positive ID, which also acquired Tiverton, Devon-based Limbus Labels last year, offers low-volume, full-colour digital and high-volume, full-colour flexographic printing to all industries. It also offers thermal printing services as well as price guns and price gun labels.
