Printweek – 2024 in review: July

Smurfit Kappa cleared all the regulatory hurdles to complete its merger with US-based Westrock… Jonathan Strogylos, the ringleader of a gang that imported “colossal” amounts of cocaine into the UK concealed using toner cartridges, was jailed… Graphic Point worked through the night to beat a tight deadline and install a bespoke staircase graphic for Taylor Swift’s Wembley Stadium concerts… The General Election provided a welcome boost to print demand as political parties turned to a multitude of formats to get their message across to voters… Walstead’s York factory had to halt its press after the gas supply to the facility was isolated… Macfarlane Group acquired protective packaging manufacturer Polyformes… Royal Mail revealed it was to retire its remaining freight trains… Eren Paper applied for planning permission for a new tissue mill at its site in Shotton… Kite Packaging’s Kent site was damaged by pro-Palestinian activists who believed it was a supplier to arms manufacturer Elbit… Martin Howard Quince, the boss of a local newsletter publisher, Bedford-based Rosetta Publishing Ltd, was handed a lengthy ban for abusing the Bounce Back Loan scheme… Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský rejected concerns that he is only really interested in Royal Mail’s lucrative parcels business… Project Display merged Ores Display’s UK subsidiary to become Project Display Group… Limetree Printing expanded its offering with the acquisition of nearby board and signage manufacturer Pro-S UK… Packaging converter Sirane appointed administrators, with 172 staff made redundant… Paragon revealed plans to shut its Accrington trade printing operation… Print bosses were being urged to review their disaster recovery plans after a massive global IT outage caused by a faulty software update issued by CrowdStrike… Fire broke out at a factory next door to Flexo Trade Print and spread to its premises. Six fire engines were mobilised. However, the company was back in business two weeks later… Meanwhile, Compack Cartons was forced to evacuate its premises after a huge fire at a nearby car maintenance company… Food packaging group Coppice Alupack stepped in to buy Sirane following the latter’s fall into administration… DS Smith said it had replaced more than a billion pieces of plastic packaging in advance of its 2025 target…