This year was full of mergers and we asked printers if they would consider coming together with another business.              

Two thirds of Australian printers say they would merge given the opportunity, and only six per cent said they never would.

The figures come from a ProPrint conducted poll where it asked printers ‘Would you consider merging your business with another?’

Sixty four per cent of voters said they would merge, a fifth said they would sell before they had to merge’ while a tenth said they would only if they were desparate. Only one in 20 said they would never merge.

The poll results come on the back of the two big mergers just announced, the first between PMP and IPMG, and the second with IVE acquiring Franklin Web and AIW.

[Related: IVE to acquire Franklin Web and AIW]

These deals bring up the question whether or not a merger is the right move for other printing businesses.

Opus CEO Richard Celarc agrees with the polls outcome saying he would never say no to anything. “Never say never,” he says.

However some companies are at the other end of the spectrum. Flying Colours printing managing director Craig Pearce says he would never merge, due to the strength and success of his business.

"I would consider buying one out. I am pretty much straight down the line, we have no reason to merge.” he says. "To be honest we are a successful entity. We are happy where we are."

ProPrint spoke to one trade printer who did not want to be named who says, “We would only merge if it was in our favour,” he says. “We would be more inclined to acquire a company rather than merge.”

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