Printweek – Review of 2025: March

HP planned to cut between 1,000 and 2,000 jobs this year as part of a structural savings programme intended to save the business an additional $300m (£225m)… Blackwell Print, a Great Yarmouth-based printer with a history stretching back to 1870, ceased trading and was set to enter liquidation… Quad/Graphics completed the $42m sale of its European printing operations, including its large web offset and sheetfed plant in Poland… The proposed £3.6bn takeover of Royal Mail’s parent company was delayed because of political unrest in Romania… The Printweek Awards winners were revealed at the Festival of Print, celebrating business and production achievements across 18 categories… Agfa and BHS Corrugated sealed a new partnership whereby Agfa became the exclusive supplier of inkjet printing engines for the BHS Jetliner range… UPM announced plans to cull 270,000 tonnes of uncoated mechanical paper capacity with the closure of one of its mills in Germany… Administrators had still not been appointed at Reflections Print Finishers, more than a month after a filing was made to that effect. Later in the month, a wide range of the firm’s kit was put up for sale by the directors… Chroma Group fell into administration and closed due to “insurmountable challenges,” including the loss of a major print management client… A Gutenberg Bible page was found in an attic and was set to fetch £20,000-£30,000 at auction… A shortfall of more than £5m was estimated after TJ Books ran out of cash following its disastrous pre-pack acquisition of the H Charlesworth & Co business… Publisher Unbound was sold in a pre-pack deal, leaving authors uncertain over whether they would receive money they were owed… Bishops Printers celebrated 40 years in business and invested in finishing kit… Tradeprint expanded with an ROI website… Rapidity boosted its luxury packaging offering after taking on key staff and some specialist equipment from the former British Looseleaf business.