Secret owners behind new, major print investor in the Nordics

A newly established investment firm is to consolidate the print industry in the Nordics. What is their next move?

Helprint in the Finnish town of Mikkeli has changed hands. The acquisiition of the gravure printer is the first step for a new investment group which states they will consolidate the Nordic print industry.

What is their next move? After Swedish Stampen’s division of their media services and their printers in November last year, Swedish V-tab could be one possible next step for the new player if it’s up for sale. But there are of course several other alternatives across the Nordic region.

The investment firm is buying Helprint from Circle Media which in a statement says that they are selling Helprint despite the fact that Helprint belongs to the group’s core business. However, Circle Media does not want to focus on the Nordics, it says.

Secret buyer

Printers Group Oy is the secret buyer of Helprint and behind the company is a group of private investors who have been looking for investments in the print industry and wanted to break in to the Nordics, says Finnish media lansi-savo.fi. But currently they dont want to tell who is behind the investment group. Panu Torniainen is the group’s spokes man, and is acting as an advisor to Printers Group Oy. Torniainen has been in charge of the gravure printing division at Circle Media Group.

Helprint had a turn over of 29.6 million euro in 2017, and had an EBIT of minus 1.2 million euro. The company has currently 110 employees.