Wickliffe executive chairperson Warren Leslie told ProPrint he was “very pleased” about the development.

“We’ve got Dunedin, they’re strong in Christchurch and we’re in Wellington; between us we’ll have all the bases covered,” he said.

“They now have high-end colour, so there’s a bit of work there and specialist products, and we’ve got a good customer base. So there are a lot of synergies and we hope the company will grow from here.

“It gives our customers and our creditors certainty going forward, and creates a much stronger base company,” said Leslie, who is one of two members of a charitable trust that owns Wickliffe.

He said the details of the precise shareholding and make-up of the new entity, which will be called Graphics and Logistics Solutions Group, would be decided over a 90-day working period.

Leslie is expected to continue with the new company in the executive chairperson role. He was unable to advise if there would be any redundancies, but told ProPrint “we want to become a bigger company and not smaller”.

He added that Wickliffe and Print Media Group had “worked closely over the past 10-15 years and our relationship will continue as strong as in the past”. PMG managing director Leo Moio is on the Wickliffe board.

In a joint statement, Leslie and Kalamazoo managing director Steve D’Souza said the synergies between the two companies were very clear.

“Both organisations are committed to providing customers with a single point of contact for all their print and communication needs, and the best possible combination of service and quality,” he said.

Wickliffe was established in 1948 and employs around 250 people. Its offering includes print management, producing business forms, variable data and digital print, strategic sourcing, full third-party logistics and e-commerce.

Last month, ProPrint revealed Kalamazoo’s ambitious plan to treble turnover to NZ$100 million (A$81 million) within two years. 

The Kalamazoo Group was established in 1904 and is owned by D’Souza and his wife, Odelia.

The company employs 102 staff and has links to a large family printing business in India.

The new entity will operate from 10 sites across the North and South Islands.

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