Only 24 hours after announcing that it has installed an HP Indigo 100K at its site in Dagenham, Precision Proco Group has confirmed that it has acquired Cliftons Bookbinders.
Cliftons’ history stretches back more than 20 years, but the firm was forced to close its doors last year due to the impact of the pandemic ‘and a number of other contributory factors.’ However the company has now been given a new lease of life, with its trade finishing arm being incorporated into Precision Proco’s Dagenham facility.
Tim Clifton, the managing director of Clifton, said that the pre-existing relationship between his company and Precision ProCo meant that the deal made sense for both parties.
‘We have worked with each other for around 15 years and already had a very good relationship,’ he said. ‘It has been a very tough time, particularly because the kind of work we do such as catalogues for auction houses, for theatres and for hospitality, simply came to a halt during Covid.
‘It was a hard decision to make after more than 20 years in the business but it was important to have a rethink. I had a number of conversations with Precision Proco Group and it’s fantastic we now have this new lifeline and that we are able to provide our binding experience in house for them going forward.’
The new arrangement will also benefit the group’s digital print platform, WTTB, which is planning to unveil its book super centre in the near future. Gary Peeling, the chief executive of Precision Proco Group, expanded, ‘Books are a very important growth area for us and we will be making some very exciting announcements in the near future. We have invested in equipment which will give our customers even more options than ever before and bringing Cliftons into the fold will help us achieve our ambitions.’
