Simpson Group saved from administration by Pureprint

Pureprint, a provider of integrated marketing, print, and technology services, has announced it has acquired Simpson Group. The acquisition follows speculation of the 54-year-old company being sold to a trade buyer after filing for administration at the end of May.

Pureprint sees the acquisition as a way of bolstering its offering in the point-of-sale (POS), in-store marketing, and display production markets.

Simpson Group is based in Washington, Tyne & Wear, and has built a strong reputation delivering POS and point-of-purchase systems, FSDUs, window displays, and 3D structural display solutions.

The company was previously family-run until a management buyout in 2018 when it was reported as being a £11m turnover business. Formed in 1972 by Bill Simpson, the company employed over 100 staff in the North East and a southern operation in Langley. In the calendar year for 2024, Simpson Print filed flat sales of £13.4m with an operating loss of £1.2m.

With this latest acquisition Pureprint says it now employs over 580 people with annual revenues of circa £95m. Established in 1926, this is the company’s 100^th year in operation following several years of expansion and acquisitions. Pureprint has locations throughout the UK including Imprint in Newcastle, Ashford Colour in Gosport, and The Impurium creative agency in Leeds and Cardiff.

Mark Handford, chief executive officer of Pureprint Group, says: "We are pleased to welcome Simpson Group into Pureprint Group. Simpson has a long-standing reputation within the point of sale and display market, and the business brings talented people, proven manufacturing expertise and strong customer relationships.

“This acquisition creates new opportunities for customers of both businesses while strengthening our ability to deliver high-quality retail and marketing solutions. We look forward to working with the Simpson team and building on the strong foundations already in place."