01 November 2019

ODESSA PRINT GROUP COLLAPSES, RESURFACES AS ODESSA UK

Large-format specialist Odessa Print Group has gone into administration with the business sold as a going concern to its directors and now trading as Odessa UK.

Odessa Print Group, formerly Odessa Offset, was established in 1983 and initially specialised in print for the outdoor advertising market. As that market declined the firm diversified into point-of-sale printing for the retail market.

However, according to a statement from business advisers Moorfields, the turnaround was not successful and the directors were unable to return the business to profitability in the face of “escalating creditor pressure”.

Tom Straw and Simon Thomas of Moorfields Advisory were appointed as administrators on 18 October, with the business subsequently sold to directors Bob Charles and Laurence Matthews.

Apparently the firm had been marketed for sale prior to the administration.  

In a statement, Straw said: “We are delighted to have concluded a sale of Odessa, the directors had established a good business model, and this will hopefully give them the opportunity to adjust further to the market’s needs.”

The business had previously employed around 85 staff, with 70 taken on by the new company as part of the sale. It ran a wide range of kit from suppliers including HP Scitex, Koenig & Bauer, Inca, Kongsberg and Young Shin.