Perth disability enterprise Westcare Incorporated has bought fellow WA printer Percival Print and Packaging in a hushed acquisition.

Multi-award winning Percival Print and Packaging is located in East Perth, and has been in operation since 1972. ProPrint contacted Percival directors who confirmed the acquisition, however they declined to comment further on the matter.

In the past year Westcare has been in the throes of controversial court cases which saw former general manager Nadia Halliday convicted of fraud, with CEO John Mitchell acquitted of similar charges.

Following the court case Mitchell stayed on board as chief executive at Westcare and recently celebrated five years at the enterprise. “It is envisaged that Mitchell will helm Westcare into its eighth decade,” Westcare states on its website.

Westcare is a non-profit organisation that employs people with disabilities to work in its printing, box making, and packaging operations from two factories in the suburbs of Perth.

It is an Australian Disability Enterprise, and is the only printer that can be given state government contracts without an open tender process. Westcare completed a $1.2m contract with the Child and Adolescent Health Service only last year.

Many of Percival Print and Packaging clients were Western Australian government organisations and corporations from within the pharmaceutical, food services, promotional and retail industries.

Percival was founded by George Percival, and the business was co-owned by David LeRoy and Rod Jenkins. It went through a major upgrade six years ago with a new KBA Rapida 106 replacing three older machines.

According to an industry insider, Percival will continue as a separate entity for several months, and at this stage the directors LeRoy and Jenkins will remain in their roles.

More details to follow.

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