In a company-wide update chief operating officer Roy Kingston said the business had experienced “a significant upturn in volume” following YM’s failure.
Walstead has also restarted operations at the former York Mailing site, as Walstead York.
As a result, Mike Newbould, who has been working as a consultant for Walstead since May, will become managing director of the Walstead Peterborough operation, effective 1 September.
Lindsay Atkinson, who previously oversaw Peterborough, Bicester, and the Walstead Binders operation in Leicester, will be freed up to focus on the expanded Bicester business.
“Bicester has been the subject of significant capital expenditure with a new press and Ferag line under installation. This site which is twinned with Walstead Binders will become one of the largest businesses in the entire group and as such requires dedicated management time,” Kingston stated.
He said the change would allow Atkinson “to take Bicester to a new level”.
The 16pp six-unit M600 cover press with UV coater from YM Chantry is currently being installed at Bicester, where an older Komori web has been decommissioned.
The 2016 Ferag line from Pindar Scarborough is also being installed there, which will mean Bicester’s firepower extends to six web presses, four Ferag systems, and the paperwrapping setup in partnership with Westcolour.
Atkinson told Printweek: “Walstead’s decision to further expand the Bicester operation is exciting times and with the installation of an additional press and a fourth high-speed Ferag stitching line requires greater management focus.
“It’s been a pleasure working with the Peterborough management team for the past seven years and I know the site is in good hands to support Mike Newbould in his new role.”
Newbould has spend many years working in web offset at YM Group and York Mailing before that.
He said the Peterborough role would be a fresh challenge due to the site’s focus on time-sensitive publications.
“It’s a new challenge at a different type of plant, and I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
The Ferag at Bicester is expected to be running by the end of September, and the M600 by October at the latest, Kingston said.
Walstead will keep running at second Ferag line at Scarborough until the end of next month.
A Muller Martini Tempo high-speed stitching line has been moved to Walstead Roche in Cornwall..
Kingston said that Walstead expected to have removed all the equipment from the Chantry site before the end of this month.
The huge Goss Sunday 5000 64pp short-grain is being shipped to GWS in Holland for refurbishment and storage, prior to a decision on its future location.
The overall Walstead Group had gross revenue last year of €546.4m (£457m). Net sales (excluding paper) were up 4.9% at €355m.
