Mail Solutions Group buys Dobson & Crowther assets from admins

Envelope manufacturer Mail Solutions Group has bought the plant and most of the machinery that belonged to Dobson & Crowther, the North Wales-based litho printer that fell into administration last month.

Telford, Shropshire-based Mail Solutions Group is hoping to soon restart envelope production at the Llangollen site, which opened last year after Dobson & Crowther relocated from another site in the town to make way for a supermarket development project.

Mail Solutions Group confirmed the news on its Twitter account. The firm's finance director Phil Reid told local website Llanblogger in a statement that the firm hopes to take on many of the 79 workers that lost their jobs after Dobson & Crowther went into administration.

Reid said there were a number of issues to overcome, including winning back the support of former suppliers and customers, and bringing back staff who may have since found other employment.

“Notwithstanding these issues, we are hopeful that we will indeed re-commence production at Llangollen, and create employment for many of the workers who have lost their livelihoods,” said Reid.

“So far, staff, customers, and suppliers have been amazingly supportive, and Mail Solutions Group is looking forward to the possibility of restarting the machines at Llangollen very soon for the benefit of all stakeholders.”

Administrators Baker Tilly said: “The joint administrators Christopher Ratten and Lindsey Cooper of Baker Tilly Restructuring and Recovery LLP can confirm that a sale of substantially all of the company’s assets to two separate parties has been agreed.

“At this stage of the process the administrators are not in a position to disclose or confirm the names of these purchasers.”

Llangollen councillor Stuart Davies said he was informed that the second party, whose name is not known to PrintWeek, only bought one machine from the administrators, which was surplus to Mail Solutions Group’s requirements.

He added: “I’m a big supporter of this project, which means a lot to Llangollen, and I cannot praise Mail Solutions Group highly enough. I met them and they seem like a good company with a strong track record that know what they’re doing.”

Mail Solutions Group, which was established in 2000, has plants in both the UK and India. The group has more than 300 staff worldwide and a turnover approaching £40m per year.

The firm's other acquisitions have included Bolton-based Empire Envelopes in 2010 and Kent-based Crossways Envelopes in 2012.

Mail Solutions Group could not be reached for further comment at the time of writing.

Ratten and Cooper of Baker Tilly were appointed as administrators of Dobson & Crowther last month after it ran into trouble following the administration of most parts of Paperlinx UK, its largest supplier.