TMA INTO HEATSET WITH SPOTPRESS BUY

Australia will now have two strong heatset web businesses, with print management giant TMA acquiring the Spotpress catalogue and magazine division – the heatset operation – and looking to invest in it going forward.

Print21 understands TMA has bought the business to ensure its customers have options when it comes to heatset printing, with a second viable operation providing an alternative to IVE for magazines, catalogues and other long run jobs. TMA says competition is good for the industry.

TMA Group executive chairman, Anthony Karam said, “The acquisition of Spotpress provides greater opportunity to extend TMA’s print management capabilities. Spotpress will continue to operate from the current Marrickville site. Previous owners John and Dimitri Georgantzakos, as well as all their current staff, will be retained under TMA’s ownership.”

Spotpress contains the only heatset web lines outside of IVE. It operates two Heidelberg heatset presses from its Sydney facility. It also runs two Goss coldset presses for its ethnic newspaper business, these are not part of the deal. TMA will print for TMA clients, and will also offer heatset print on the open market, on the newly acquired heatset lines.

Former Spotpress owners John and Dimitri Georgantzakos have recently been planning a growth route, after more than three decades building up the successful business, which was founded by their father George in 1981. Spotpress has traditionally operated in a different heatset market to IVE, focusing on tier two and tier three publishers and retailers.

Spotpress managing director John Georgantzakos said, “This deal delivers great synergies for Spotpress, allowing it to become more competitive, whilst gaining access to resources to help increase the value proposition for all our customers.”

TMA has a successful track record of buying print businesses and integrating them into its group, including the likes of Impress Colour, Premier and LMA.

Spotpress remained apart from the industry consolidation that occurred eight years ago when IVE bought Franklin Web and AIW, at the same time as PMP and IPMG merged, the latter duo later becoming Ovato. 

Spotpress provides print, distribution and related services for magazines, catalogues and newspapers for a variety of industries as well as commercial businesses and government agencies throughout Australia. Many of its highly-skilled staff members have been with the company since inception.

TMA Group of companies is an Australian-owned multinational print, print management, technology and logistics business.