deals. Close Brothers fits in this category, says Paul Philbrick, managing director of the Close Brothers Asset Finance print team, who believes management buyouts (MBOs) are a popular option in print. “Handing over the reins of the business to people that may have been involved with in it for many years is a natural progression and allows the current management team to finally have a stake in the business,” Philbrick says, adding: “Invariably, the outgoing directors will remain involved for a period of time and this way there isn’t any friction during the changeover period. “The biggest mistake is not opening conversations with a specialist finance company like Close Brothers early enough. We can offer guidance and speed of turnaround that could be pivotal to the right deal being done and help set a realistic outcome. A clear vision of the future with projections that demonstrate the business will be sustainable going forward. “It’s important to assess and identify the steps required to complete and attributing realistic timescales to each. Then both parties can agree to a target completion date.” It is pretty clear that acquisitions, mergers, and MBOs present businesses in print – both small and large – with exciting opportunities for long-term growth. Could this be an option for your company, too? vehicle wraps and graphics. James Tilley, the former owner of VSM, is overseeing the new venture, which is now 100% owned by PressOn, with Wilson leading the parent company. While still in its infancy, Wilson says he has high hopes for the new business moving forward, with plans to use PressOn’s existing relationship with leading brands such as Harrods and Harvey Nicholls to bring in new, vehicle-based work. On top of this, ARC-UK Technologies, part of ARC Document Solutions, which provides digital printing and document-related services to more than 90,000 customers worldwide, recently revealed it is looking for new acquisition opportunities in the UK. The aim of this, ARC-UK says, is to strengthen its geographical reach and help establish itself as a leading carbon neutral printer in the UK for digital print and document imaging. Darren Moorhouse, head of sales for UK & Europe, says: “To continue on our upward trajectory, we are looking to expand through acquiring other businesses with shared visions and values, aligned with our aims, for what we wish to provide to our customers.” Is an MBO Right For You? Of course, any deal needs to be right for you and your business. Working with specialists in this area can keep you on the straight and narrow when completing Attractive Prospect Away from equipment manufacturers, the paper sector has also seen a number of changes, such as an acquisition by Fedrigoni. The most recent was its purchase of a majority stake in BoingTech a subsidiary of Shanghai Inlay Link and a specialist in radio frequency identification (RFID) inlays and tags. By acquiring the stake – and holding the option to purchase remaining shares in the future – Fedrigoni says this strengthens its position in the RFID sector, allowing it to bring additional value to customers across both self-adhesives and specialty papers for luxury packaging and other creative applications. “The world of RFID is growing rapidly and is increasingly strategic for the group,” comments Fedrigoni chief executive Marco Nespolo, who adds: “This is a further step to significantly increase our size in the RFID inlay manufacturing, as well as widen our ability to partner with our customers, alike converters, printers, and system integrators, and meet their needs.” Just a few weeks before this news broke, it was also announced that Fedrigoni had acquired a majority stake in POLI-TAPE Group, a producer of materials for graphic applications such as textile, signage, digital printing, and specialties. POLI-TAPE’s textile graphics business includes heat-transfer vinyls for the embellishment of textiles and other substrates, with Fedrigoni’s Nespolo saying this also further extends the reach of its product offering. Building a Legacy Of course, it is not only giant corporations, manufacturers, and suppliers that can benefit from M&A activity. Earlier this year, Whitstable-based, print business PressOn launched a new vehicle wrapping venture after a recent acquisition. The company took ownership of wrapping business VSM, with PressOn managing director Andrew Wilson opting to use this as a catalyst to launch PressOn Automotive just after the turn of the year. Speaking at The Print Show in September, Wilson said that he saw this as the ideal time to capitalise on rising demand for MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS 38 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk November / December 2024 - Issue 351 Handing over the reins of the business to people that may have been involved with it for many years is a natural progression ▲ Andrew Wilson, managing director of PressOn, recently launched PressOn Automotive on the back of an acquisition
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