Acquisitions always come with an element of risk, particularly when the target is insolvent. For every success story, you could probably list hundreds that have ended up back in administration - often taking their would-be saviour with them.

Blue has cited its record in saving hundreds of jobs through similar acquisitions, but the fact remains that the Aldridge deal saved 33 jobs initially, with 11 later made redundant, and has ultimately cost 160 people their livelihoods.

A great number of business owners are risk takers and the need to take calculated risks to succeed in business has been advocated by no less a figure than Richard Branson. But this is the key: the risk has to weighed against the reward, in light of all the information that is available at the time.

Unfortunately for Blue and its 160 staff, the fact that the company only found out after acquiring Aldridge that the £10m sales boost it was expecting turned out to be less than £5m, speaks volumes.

It seems, then, that in its eagerness to capitalise on the Aldridge opportunity, the group failed to do its due diligence properly before agreeing to take on the insolvent company and its liabilities. These have already done for two of the company’s three sites and, for the sake of those employees at the remaining web plant, it can only be hoped that the rot stops there.

– PrintWeek news editor Simon Nias