Midlands Publishing Group (MPG) claims to be "on the verge" of completing the acquisition of a web offset printer with sales of 8.75m.


The group, which wants a printing firm to put it "in control of our destiny" (PrintWeek, 12 April), said it wasnt able to name the company in question.


But the PrintWeek Top 500 would suggest Century Litho (Truro) was a possibility, with sales of 8.07m for the year to 31 March 1999.


Century managing director David Tayler was unavailable for comment.


MPG chief executive Nicholas Humes would only say that the printer had an established client base.


Midlands Publishing Group PLC was incorporated as Midlands Associates PLC on 23 April 1999, before changing its name on 28 May 1999.


Humes said it no longer had any connection with Midlands Associates PLC, which was incorporated on 24 June 1998 as Midlands Publishing Group PLC before changing its name on 28 May 1999. A winding-up petition was issued on 23 January 2001 against it.


Story by Gordon Carson