News

Media and Print Investments (MPI), the private equity vehicle run by Mike Dolan, has kicked off 2008 with the acquisition of B1 and digital house Goodman Baylis and hinted at future deals.

The deal to buy Worcester-based Goodman Baylis, whose clients include Honda and advertising agency McCann Erickson, was due to complete on Wednesday as PrintWeek went to press.

The deal is the 10th acquisition by MPI since its inception in March 2006 and boosts its turnover to over £65m. Goodman Baylis’s existing management team, led by chairman Clive Parkes and managing director Simon Hunt, will remain in place.

Dolan will become chief executive, while Ben Crozier, who is operations director at MPI, will fulfil the same role at Goodman Baylis.

Dolan said that the deal would “consolidate” MPI’s position in the magazine, book and high-end commercial markets.

He added that the firm’s position as the UK’s only printer able to offer both UV and MetalFX printing was a key to the acquisition.

Parkes said: “This opportunity represents a major opportunity for me and the team at Goodman Baylis to achieve our goal of building a strong and sustainable high-quality business that is able to compete in an ever more challenging marketplace.”

Dolan added: “We are currently in discussions with a number of parties and the pace of change at MPI is speeding up.

I anticipate the first half of 2008 to be a busy time for M&A activity and we will be active in the market.”