Printwise purchased by Empine after founder retires

Blackpool-based small- and wide-format printer, MCB Print (trading as Printwise), has been acquired by Empine and its director, Alex Forsyth.

The sale took place following the announcement that Printwise founder, Mark Booth, would retire after more than two decades at the helm of the business. The purchase price of the acquisition has not been disclosed.

Founded by Booth in 2002, Printwise has served a wide range of clients predominantly in Blackpool and across the Fylde coast.

The acquisition will reportedly result in no immediate changes for customers, with operations continuing as normal and the business still trading as Printwise.

Previous designer at Printwise, Andy Makin, will step up to lead the office on a day-to-day basis, with support from the core executive leaders guiding the Empine Group – Anthony Taylor, Jacob Knowles, and the previously mentioned Forsyth.

This is the second acquisition made by Taylor and Knowles in the last twelve months, following the purchase of the family-owned commercial printer, Forsyth and Steele – another Blackpool based production facility where Forsyth serves as managing director.

As part of the Printwise acquisition, the added production capacity and facilities that Printwise offer will be utilised for Forsyth and Steele’s operations.

Jacob Knowles, business director for Empine Group, says: “This acquisition is another exciting step forward for us as a group, adding additional resource and customers to our already growing list. The business compliments Forsyth and Steele perfectly with location, production capabilities, and staff capability.”

Since becoming part of the Empine Group, Forsyth and Steele has invested in new equipment including a Morgana bookletmaker and a fully automated business card slitter.

The kit investments aim to improve Forsyth and Steele’s turnaround times, output quality, and capacity for its range of clients across the UK.