Venn, the buy-and-build group established by Anthony Thirlby and Andy Rae just over a year ago, acquired Culverlands Press at the beginning of December.
The operation’s 16 staff have now been relocated to the JDP manufacturing site at Whitchurch, which is 11 miles away from the old Culverlands factory in Winchester.
The Culverlands kit has been sold, while Venn has invested in new pre-media and post-press kit for its main site.
“As part of the move, all the equipment located in Winchester has been sold to facilitate paying down a significant proportion of the purchase of the company by Venn,” the firm said.
Thirlby said that paying down the purchase debt of JDP and Culverlands remained “at the forefront of these decisions”.
The Culverlands name and separate client portfolio will be retained. Former owner Stephen Edwards, who owns the Culverlands factory, has stepped back from the group.
Thirlby said the business had invested around £310,000 in a new Heidelberg Suprasetter 106 platesetter – the first 55pph model in the UK – with the device’s B1 format “in place for future B1 investment plans”.
Also joining the JDP setup is a Stahl KH66 continuous feed folder, aimed at keeping pace with a 41% increase in section work at the business, which runs B2 litho and digital presses: two five-colour plus coater Speedmaster XL75s, and HP Indigo 12000 and 100K digital devices.
Thirlby said that sales at Culverlands had grown by 34% since it became part of Venn.
However, the duo’s plans to expand into London with a deal to take over the former Push Print site have been delayed after it emerged the site was subject to a compulsory purchase order within two years, along with a change of leasing requirements.
“London is still very much on the agenda,” Thirlby stated. “We have three other conversations going on in the London area and I’ve had probably 40 phone calls from people who want to talk.”
He said that Venn’s partnership with brand management business Establish-id was also proving successful.
The Venn business now employs 42 people and is aiming for sales of at least £10m this year.
