The owners of the Hoyland, near Barnsley trade finishing business announced plans to retire earlier this year, with its indexing machines including two Durrer Rega 5 automated models, put up for sale.

Cousins Lee and Terry McCormack established Monarch nearly 30 years ago.

“There were three or four UK companies that were interested in the equipment, but for various reasons couldn’t commit. It’s a shame, really,” Lee McCormack told Printweek.

“No one was willing to take a punt on it at the moment unfortunately. You don’t know what you’ve got, till it’s gone.”

Monarch had provided step indexing, thumb indexing, specialist tab cutting and other book finishing services.

Brochure Rapide de Paris, based in the outskirts of the French capital, has now bought all four of Monarch’s Durrer machines.

Monarch’s factory manager Jason Leather has relocated to France to operate the machinery and train the Brochure Rapide team.

“So there will be a little bit of Barnsley in Paris. And he’s started to learn French!” McCormack said.

Monarch closed its doors for the final time at the end of last month.

“It’s one of the rare occasions when a print finishing company is finishing and they’re not shafting anyone. We don’t owe anybody anything, we made some money and now we’re closing the doors,” he added.