S&G have been looking out for a suitable acquisition for some time and the addition of Pensord Press and Cambrian Printers to the Group is a major coup, says the company.
Despite workloads having not returned to pre-pandemic levels, S&G says it has continued to invest heavily in new technology to further improve automation and enhance product quality and has been building the appropriate capacity to expand its foothold in the market.
The deal will see S&G acquire 100% of the shares in the target company.
S&G Managing Director, Andrew LG Jones, said: “It’s fair to say that our talks came at the right time for both parties. Stephens and George Print Group and the Pensord Print Group are both standard bearers for our industry, and we are delighted to make this happen.”
“As a bigger business with continuity of ownership for over 110 years we have been able to build up a robust, rich, state of the art infrastructure enabling us to survive whatever is thrown at us and to thrive long into the future. The addition of The Pensord Group, which includes Pensord Press, Cambrian Printers and Pensord Digital, will enable us to keep investing and to continue to provide our clients, old and new, with the best service, best quality at the best value.”
“We will be acquiring products we will be familiar with, alongside some complementary skills, knowledge, and expertise. This will be an exciting time for the group and will bring some much-needed continuity and stability for every single client across both print groups, in a very fast changing and uncertain world.
Pensord Group Chairman Darren Coxon said: “The commercial and periodical print sector has been hit hard over the last 3 years following 2 years of pandemic and now a global energy crisis and all the indicators point to a marketplace that will likely contract further in 2023.”
“Despite having a great reputation for both service and quality, we would have found it very difficult, on our own, to survive a fourth consecutive year of crisis. Whilst Stephens & George are probably the best equipped sheetfed printing plant in the UK; and backed by a robust balance sheet and healthy financial structure and so much more able to deal with the energy hikes and a market downturn.
Coxon added, “The proximity of the two groups, operating in the same space, means that this amalgamation makes complete sense. And as a priority for me it ensures that the respected brands of Pensord and Cambrian Printers will continue, and it will provide certainty and continuity to our clients no matter what is around the next corner.”
Andrew LG Jones added: “With tough times ahead, we will be better and stronger together.”
You can find out more about Stephens & George in our Publishing Services Directory.
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