Printwise purchased by Empine Blackpool-based small- and wide-format printer, MCB Print (trading as Printwise), has been acquired by Empine and its print director and co-founder, Alex Forsyth. The sale took place following the announcement that Printwise founder, Mark Booth, would retire after more than two decades at the helm of the business. The purchase price of the acquisition has not been disclosed. Founded by Booth in 2002, Printwise has served a wide range of clients predominantly in Blackpool and across the Fylde coast. The acquisition will reportedly result in no immediate changes for customers, with operations continuing as normal and the business still trading as Printwise. Previous designer at Printwise, Andy Makin, will step up to lead the office on a day-to-day basis, with support from the core executive leaders guiding the Empine Group – Anthony Taylor, Jacob Knowles, and Alex Forsyth. This is the second acquisition made by Taylor and Knowles in the last 12 months, following the purchase of the family-owned commercial printer, Forsyth and Steele – another Blackpool based production facility where Forsyth serves as managing director. Restore Information Management acquires MPS UK document solutions provider, Restore Information Management, has acquired the Bristol-based print and mail service business, MPS Marketing Services, in a £2.3m deal which will help diversify its outbound communications capabilities. Founded in 2007, MPS covers print, fulfilment, and outbound mail distribution company, specialising in data-driven transactional mail solutions, high-volume direct mail, and bespoke software integration for secure communication tracking. The acquisition is part of a broader strategy to strengthen Restore’s services for a growing customer base in the public sector. The combined business will aim to provide improved support for local authority, NHS, and other public sector clients managing high-volume communications across physical and digital channels, including the delivery of letters, bills, benefits communications, patient letters, and other critical documents. There is concrete evidence that the UK public sector is maintaining and committing to high print volumes, with the UK government shifting towards centralised, securely managed print environments and hybrid physicalto-digital workflows. In September 2025, the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) awarded a new four-year procurement framework valued at up to £900m, designed to provide more innovative working practices through improved print and document management infrastructure. A centralised “GovPrint” service managed by the Government Property Agency (GPA) has also seen surging demand, expanding to support over 11,000 civil service users. The agency is actively rolling out GovPrint across 1,300 multi-function devices across the UK estate, including major HMRC hubs in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Bristol, and Nottingham. Document management companies like Restore are specifically buying up outbound mail businesses including MPS to capture revenue generated by these growing public sector transactional print requirements. Restore currently supports over 6,000 clients across the UK, providing data management, digital transformation, and physical document storage as well as scanning, mailroom, and outbound communication services. By Jonathan Pert [L to R] Alex Forsyth form Empine, Mark Booth from Printwise, and Empine’s Jacob Knowles and Anthony Taylor By Jonathan Pert 11 www.printmonthly.co.uk September | October 2026 - Issue 362 BUSINESS | NEWS Smithers and the FTA announce new partnership The Foundation of Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) has announced a strategic partnership with Smithers, a worldwide authority on the packaging, printing, and paper industries. The agreement with FTA, which serves professionals throughout the flexographic printing value chain, formalises a shared commitment to advancing knowledge, innovation, and commercial opportunity across the flexo industry. Under the terms of the partnership, Smithers will contribute exclusive content to FLEXO Magazine, the FTA’s own publication, bringing members access to data, insights, and analysis drawn from Smithers’ market intelligence and research. The two organisations will also collaborate on joint webinars and coordinated strategic initiatives designed to address key challenges and opportunities facing flexographic printers, converters, ink and substrate suppliers, and brand owners worldwide. As part of the partnership, Smithers will contribute ainsights focused on the flexo industry By Jonathan Pert Nigel Dews, MD of Restore Information Management [pictured], says that the acquisition complements existing support for the public sector
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