Mark Shergill’s Focus Print Group has continued its aggressive expansion policy by acquiring Liverpool Printing Service (LPS) in Sydney’s south-west. It’s the ninth acquisition by Focus Print since Shergill took over the company in 2014.
LPS is an offset and digital business that has been family-owned and operated since being established in 1967.
“I was looking for ways to move forward and decided to get a valuation of the business and the machinery,” said LPS GM Terry Strudwick. “Word got out, I guess. Mark heard about what I was doing and we had a couple of meetings and he made an offer that I was happy with.”
Focus Print bought the name, the client list and some of the machinery from the LPS factory in Moorebank, which has now been closed down.
“We’re in the process of selling some of the equipment and moving the rest of it to the Focus Print site in Straithfield South. Liverpool Printing Services will continue trading under that name and I will be staying on for a limited time to help with sales and production issues," said Strudwick.
“Our staff of eight was given five weeks notice and offered redundancy and I’m very happy to say that all of them have found other employment - apart from one person who retired and another who has chosen to travel."
“With Focus and Liverpool Print merging to one entity, our combined resources will provide a more dynamic business,” said a Focus Print press release announcing the deal. “As a strong offset business with a sizeable digital component, Terry recently realized a need to expand and this opportunity with Focus Print Group delivers business growth with minimum further investment.
“Our combined experience and client bases will provide opportunities to grow the joint entity. Terry will continue with the business initially in a sales capacity, eventually moving into more of the production side, which is more his focus/strength.
“This acquisition adds both offset and digital printing to other recent purchases including A P & Prior Print, Whitehorse Digital and Printing and Rainbow Printing.”
The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Focus Print Group operates along the length of the east coast with sites in Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast.