ICSM Print Business Insolvency News: IPIA's Brendan Perring on job losses in manufacturing; the end for Venn; Ancient House changes IPs; and a paper manufacturer folds
By Harry Mottram: With news of President Trump’s plans for Gaza, Mexico, Canada and Greenland dominating the news there was a story that most media missed which in the long term will have a huge effect on the printing industry and allied trades. A report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) was picked up by Dominic Bernard of Print Week which predicts a 20% fall jobs in the printing industry over the next five years.
He quoted the reaction to the report by Brendan Perring (pictured) of the IPIA (Independent Printing Industries Association) as saying the report needed some context as the WEF was talking about manufacturing in total – printing being just one part. He said: ““The biggest printers are getting larger, and mid-level printers that were key employers are either selling up and being absorbed by larger trade printers or selling their books. On the smaller side of the scale, SME printers are increasingly moving to a hybrid model, where they are partially print managers and partially a production house. Previously you would have needed at least one operator for pretty much every press, every finishing line, just to make sure it was running correctly. Now, because of the level of automation, some of our members that would have previously had 10 people working on a press room floor now need just two.”
Interesting but there is always some hope. On a recent fact finding trip to Brazil I found the printing industry there has been expanding due to increased literacy. Millions of people were now getting full time education which led to a big increase in the production of school books and educational material – but also comics, magazines and newspapers as the newly literate generations wanted to read. Coupled with often poor internet meaning villagers in the Amazon couldn’t pick up a signal for their phones it meant the demand for print had risen. This is also true of many emerging economies where education has led to a more literate society.
Print Week have also given updates on two recent administrations: Venn and Ancient House. Jo Francis reported: “Directors at Venn Holdings have applied for the company to be struck off the register and dissolved. Venn Holdings was the ambitious buy-and-build venture set up by Anthony Thirlby and Andy Rae in 2021. The duo split and Rae left the business in the summer of 2023, but remained a director and shareholder in Venn. Venn’s trading subsidiaries John Dollin Printing Services (JDP) and Culverlands Press went bust just over a year ago, leaving an estimated deficiency of £4.4m.”
Ancient House has had its IP changed by creditors reported Jo Francise. She penned: “A new insolvency practitioner has been appointed to oversee the liquidation of closed Ipswich web and sheetfed printer Ancient House Press, after liquidators from Begbies Traynor were removed by creditors.” Depressingly the now defunct company that has been struck off at Companies House owes creditors well over a million pounds.
Finally Business Sale Report gave details of the end of a paper manufacturer. The posted on thei website: “Slater Harrison & Co.Limited, a Bollington-based manufacturer of paper and card products, fell into administration last week, with Mark Supperstone and Simon Jagger of Evelyn Partners appointed as joint administrators. In accounts for the year to December 31 2023, the company, which dated back to 1929, reported turnover of slightly over £9 million, down from £9.94 million a year earlier, while seeing its losses widen from around £683,000 to nearly £834,000.”
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