Gloucester-based Severnprint has been taken over by a bigger company, based in Swindon.

The Handel Group has acquired Severnprint, or Severn as it now known, which is based on the Ashville Industrial Estate, as reported by Print Business.

A source has told Punchline-Gloucester.com that rumour is that operations are set to shut down in Gloucester on Wednesday (January 31), with some machinery already moved to Swindon.

Handel, which includes ESP Colour, first approached Severn about a possible takeover in 2022 and early in 2023, but there was no interest in the sale. When Handel approached the business again in the middle of 2023, Severn was in favour of going ahead.

Severn has a particular strength in book production, an area of printing which hasn't been hit so hard by shrinking markets. As a sector which is continuing to grow, it made Severn the ideal acquisition for Handel.

Severn has retained its own branding within the Handel Group and the website has already been updated.

Severn printed Punchline-Gloucester.com's magazine in the early days.