Liquidators confirmed at Ivanhoe Caledonian

Ivanhoe Caledonian: phone calls unanswered
Ivanhoe Caledonian: phone calls unanswered

Liquidators have confirmed that Ivanhoe Caledonian has closed its doors with all staff made redundant, citing the pandemic and the resulting loss of work as the cause of its demise.

Paul Dounis and Alan Brown of RSM UK Restructuring Advisory were appointed joint provisional liquidators of Ivanhoe Caledonian Printing Company and Ivanhoe Printing Company on 1 August 2022.

The collapse of the commercial print businesses followed a move to a new central Edinburgh production site last year, which coincided with a £1.6m investment in packaging production.

The firms also had a facility in Musselburgh, housing a litho setup.

According to statement from RSM UK, the business “suffered as a result of the pandemic, which saw many organisations shift away from print materials towards digital communication”.

The 24 staff employed by the businesses were made redundant upon RSM's appointment. Pre-pandemic it had 28 staff.

Joint provisional liquidator Dounis said: “Following our appointment on Monday 1 August, all employees have been made aware of their employment status.

“We are now engaging with relevant stakeholders to ascertain all the necessary information and determine next steps.”

Following the closure of the businesses, J Thomson Colour Printers took on Ivanhoe’s work-in-progress and subsequently acquired its order books.

However, at the time of writing it is unclear if any other assets have been or are likely to be sold.

Ivanhoe Caledonian was formed in 2017 by the merger of Ivanhoe Printing Company and Caledonian Colour Printers. It has a history stretching back 80 years.

Its plant list includes B1 and B2 Komori Lithrone litho presses, a Xerox Versant digital press, and a wide variety of post-press equipment.