Unconfirmed rumours suggest that Quebecor may have placed an order for both offset and gravure capacity for its UK facility in Corby.
Industry analysts believe that the rumoured project may be a precursor to Quebecor World closing one of its gravure plants in France, which are racked with industrial disputes.

One observer suggested that UK employment legislation, which is more flexible than either French or German law, may attract Quebecor to build in the UK.

Others expressed surprise at the speculation. One source said: "The only reason Quebecor might have said that is so that [Polestar owner] Investcorp drops its asking price for Polestar. If Quebecor wants to go into gravure the obvious thing would be to buy one of the two plants being built."

Another agreed that price would be the sticking point in any imminent sale, especially following Polestar's recent spend at Sheffield. "Investcorp are in for a lot and earnings are not yet big enough to justify what they might expect [for Polestar]," said one source.

Other sources say that RR Donnelley and even QuadTech could be potential suitors for Polestar. Any takeover by European gravure giant Prinovis, however, is thought unlikely to be approved by the EU.

Story by Josh Brooks