STI Lilyfied bought by Blue Star

Blue Star Print Group has bought STI Lilyfield, five years after German print and packaging giant STI bought Reg Hammond’s company.

The deal for an undisclosed sum will be finalised on May 30, the same day that the Blue Star and IMPG merger is closed. Blue Star and STI signed a heads of agreement yesterday.

Blue Star and STI aim to continue working together as part of STI’s global network. STI operates nine print and POS manufacturing sites worldwide, and has a $450m group turnover in 2013.

Blue Star will keep the Padstow plant, staff and management in place, with existing managing director Stephen De Lorenzo retaining his role. De Lorenzo is a 25-year point-of-sale veteran who has run STI Lilyfield since last June when he replaced former managing director Graham Trickey.

Blue Star print group general manager Matt Aitken says the addition of STI’s point-of-sale business will allow Blue Star to bring its offering for that market inhouse and complement its recent foray into wide format.

“We previously outsourced millions of dollars in point-of-sale print jobs every year that we will now be able to do ourselves, so it’s a good fit that will bring further value to our customers,” he says.

“It’s an extension of the strategy we started when we began large format last year and we want to become stronger in that area.”

Blue Star and STI Group are looking at a global partnership that would involve ideas and technology sharing resulting in a leading point-of-sale solutions offering.

“This will provide access to both global and local solutions being delivered by a long standing and financially strong Australian business,” the companies say.

STI Lilyfield was founded in 1979 by Reg Hammond as Lilyfield Press and was bought in August 2009 by STI Group, in 2010 it bought the assets of the bankrupt Pettaras Press and moved into its new Padstow premises.

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