An artist's impression of the new purpose built production facility, part of Blue Star Print Group Australia's A$15m investment in Melbourne
Blue Star Print Group Australia (BSPGA) has reached agreement to purchase Melbourne firm, Print In Vision Pty Ltd, and will use the acquisition to spearhead consolidation of its Victorian operations as part of a continuing expansion plan. The Print in Vision (PIV) operation will be absorbed into BSPGA’s Craftsman Press division at Clayton in Melbourne and PIV will cease trading in its current form on July 7, 2006.
BSPGA is part of the Blue Star Print Group Limited with revenue of A$320m and Trans Tasman operations including sheetfed and web offset printing, mailing services, logistics, print management and supply chain services.
The Print In Vision acquisition supports Blue Star’s continued expansion into the Australian market and follows the successful acquisition and integration of Sydney-based Merritt Madden in November 2004.
BSPGA CEO, Geoff Selig, says, “The acquisition of Print in Vision represents a further element of our growth strategy in the Victorian market. The acquisition coincides with Blue Star’s A$15m investment in Melbourne that includes a new purpose built production facility and full re-equipment of the plant with new kit.
“This latest acquisition combined with our investment in other parts of the business significantly increases our capacity to offer a broader range of products and solutions to our customer base in this key market.
“I am delighted that the four Print In Vision directors (Brad Hoffmann, Warren Hoffman, Steuart Orchard, Robert Grlj) have entered into long term employment agreements with Blue Star. All four will add significantly to our depth of experience in the Victorian marketplace.
“Blue Star has continued to grow strongly over the last five years both organically and through acquisition. We will continue to seek out acquisitions of suitable printing and/or mailhouse businesses as we grow market share. It is part of a cohesive strategy based on acquisitions, extensive capital investment and innovation,” Selig says.
A multi-disciplined print and marketing communications company, Blue Star Print Group is headquartered in Auckland and employs 1100 staff in Australia and New Zealand. It has operations in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Masterton. The group is privately owned with a substantial management shareholding.
Companies within the group include McCollams, Nicholsons, Format, Printlink, Securacopy, Webstar, Rapid Labels, BSP Integrated Solutions and BSP Logistics in New Zealand and Link Printing, Kings Mailing Services, Craftsman Press, Webstar and BSP Integrated Solutions in Australia.
The company’s capabilities include sheetfed printing, web offset printing, self-adhesive label printing, digital quickprint, mailing services, print and database management, digital photography, website design, graphic design, electronic publishing, prepress services, logistics and e-commerce supply chain solutions.
