The drivers vary from deal to deal – in some cases the owners are looking to retire and exit the business, in others it’s about creating economies of scale or bringing in new revenue streams or expertise, and then, of course, there are those that are born out of necessity.

For some business owners, the prospect of entrepreneurs’ tax relief potentially coming to an end (if there’s a change of government in the not too distant future) is perhaps another factor – after all, there’s always a flurry of M&A activity whenever there’s a whiff of political upheaval on the breeze.

However, while the driving factors may vary, they all have one thing in common: at least one of the parties in the deal, if not both, senses a business boosting opportunity.

Because I can’t imagine any deal would get off the ground if neither party wasn’t genuinely excited about the prospects it represents.

And, fortunately, there seem to be plenty of business owners out there that are genuinely excited about the prospects that print has to offer in terms of the opportunities that are there to be snapped up.

Few people would argue that the printing industry is going through a challenging time right now, and perhaps that’s the true driver of the latest round of activity – not sharks smelling blood in the water, more that they’re business owners planning for the future rather than being overly worried about the present.