Presstek cuts 70 positions in global restructure

Less than six months after it was acquired by private equity firm American Industrial Partners (AIP), Presstek is going through a restructuring that includes a number of redundancies.

Presstek Press Business General Manager Geoff Loftus declined to give details of the restructuring but confirmed that new CEO David Savage had spent the past few days travelling between the direct imaging press manufacturer's sites to explain the impact to staff.

"He was with our South Hadley ( MA), Greenwich (CT) and Hudson, New Hampshire employees already this week and is now meeting face to face with our team in the UK," Loftus added.

In an interview with What They Think, Savage said that around 70 people - equating to 15% of the workforce - were being let go and that Presstek would be closing its Greenwich office and moving its legal and accounting function to its Hudson, NH site.

Savage added that there were also some layoffs on Europe, where the company is looking to simplify operations. No cuts are being made in R&D and engineering, which are protected.

Presstek officials have publicly been touting the benefits of the AIP acquisition since it was announced last August, stressing that it put the one-time publicly traded company on much firmer financial footing.

AIP, which also owns mid-web flexo press maker Mark Andy, reportedly paid about $26m for Presstek, which lost $73m between 2009 and 2011 alone.

Executives have also recently been suggesting that the Presstek 75DI - a 31" direct imaging press available in four to 10-color configuration that can print up to 16,000sph and includes support for 300lpi and FM screening - has been making solid inroads in the packaging/folding carton market for shorter run jobs.