Deadline looms for YM web sales

York Mailing: could Elvington site be resurrected?
York Mailing: could Elvington site be resurrected?

It’s a crucial week for future web offset capacity in the UK as the deadline looms for bids on YM Group’s former web offset sites and assets.

YM’s three web factories: YM Chantry, York Mailing and Pindar Scarborough, were plunged into administration with FRP Advisory on 31 March.

Interested parties have been touring the sites since viewing YM’s assets, some of which are unencumbered and with other equipment the property of finance companies.

The situation could also see the return of Linda Boyes, the former European sales director at York Mailing, who spent 15 years at the firm before setting up her own print and print procurement business in Latvia in 2016.

Printweek understands that Boyes is interested in resurrecting the York Mailing site at Elvington, rather than an asset purchase.

Other names in the frame include Walstead Group, which was previously interested in both the Pindar and York Mailing factories.

This week a team from Liverpool gravure printer Prinovis has also been seen at the sites. 

Rotherham-based Vanacomm, and separately former Aspenlink CEO Jeremy Spring, are understood to be running the rule over certain assets at the plants. 

Continental web printing group Em de Jong had also been tipped as a potential buyer of the giant 64pp short-grain Goss M5000 at YM Chantry.

However, UK sales manager Craig Hall told Printweek the group did not currently need to increase its short-grain capacity.

“We can confirm that Em de Jong are not interested in buying any printing presses from the administrators of the three YM Group web offset sites,” he said.

“We already run 27 web presses, eight of which are short-grain or have a short-grain folder giving the ability to print a 32, 48, 56, 64, 72, 84 & 96 page format, all press finished.’’

Sources said that final bids have to be in tomorrow (13 April) with FRP set to decide on the outcome before Easter.

YM Group backer Pricoa has still not responded to requests for comment on the situation, or said anything about its future plans for the remaining YM businesses, Lettershop in Leeds and Go Direct Marketing.

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