2015 review: February

All the business news, from acquisitions to liquidations, investments to divestments, from a year in the industry.

Prince Charles visited the St Bride Foundation and spent an hour touring the facilities, speaking with staff, Foundation partners and guests...

Manroland Sheetfed increased its contribution to Langley Holdings group profits in 2014, becoming the group’s largest division in revenue and employee terms...

Asia Pulp & Paper was given a cautious vote of confidence by the Rainforest Alliance in the first independent evaluation of its self-imposed Forest Conservation Policy commitments...

Agfa increased the footprint of its UK distribution network with the acquisition of printing supplier Filmtechnik...

GT4 Group, owner of labels and packaging printer Gavin Watsonand creative agency GT4, acquired fellow Scottish commercial printer Creative Colour Bureau...

Print manager Paperhat Group made two acquisitions in the month: CTI Digital and Bulgarian digital specialist Despark...

Perhaps as an omen of things to come, two long-standing directors of Artisan Press left the business: managing director Stephen Denbigh and finance director Rod Humby both retired. Commercial director Jonathan Sankey was named as the firm’s new managing director...

Potts Print (UK) took delivery of a Heidelberg XL 75 as part of a £3m re-equip...

Signmaking firm Hawes Signs laid off 57 workers and proposed a Company Voluntary Arrangement after losing almost £3m worth of business in less than two years...

The collapse of Timsons was revealed to have left an estimated shortfall of almost £4m, with trade creditors and employees owed £1.7m...

ABC figures revealed that women’s weeklies and lifestyle titles continued to experience a year-on-year circulation decline in 2014...

Smith & Ouzman’s Nicholas Smith and Christopher Smith were sentenced to three years in jail and 18 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years respectively and were also disqualified from directorships for six years...

Kevin Dunstall continued growing his business interests, becoming a director at publisher Solent Life, which was renamed Universal Media on the same day...

Shares at Tangent Communications fell to a 52-week low after the firm axed its final dividend and warned on profits for the full year...

Drupa announced it was to switch from a four-year cycle to a three-year cycle after 2016’s show...

Paperlinx chief executive Andrew Price was sacked by the merchanting group. He was replaced by Andrew Preece. The company posted a significant slump in sales as losses trebled in the first half of 2014/15...

Bob Gavron, the charismatic and inspirational founder of St Ives, died aged 84... 

Minprint invested in a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 75 to branch into new markets...

Mailmate Print acquired the print and mailing division of Jersey Post and relocated the operation in a circa £300,000 strategic investment...

Sense Creative ceased production and looked set to close having filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators...

Print Trade Suppliers, part of the Paragon Group, acquired trade printing rival Print City...

Aylesford Newsprint ceased trading after administrators were called in, immediately closed the mill and made 233 staff redundant...