The management at Butler & Tanner Printers have put together a bid in an attempt to save the company from closure.

The team, led by commercial and marketing director Kevin Sarney, is seeking advice from Target Corporate Finance and is hoping to attract backing for a buy-out. Hacker Young was called in as administrators last week.

Sarney, who as been at the firm for 12 years, said: “The company made good profits for the 15 years to 2003. Then like so many other UK printers the business suffered a dramatic downturn due to a high cost base, a pension deficit and, not least, overseas competition.”

He added of the company that won ‘Book Printer of The Year’ last November: “Butler & Tanner is the only realistic provider of volume colour books in the UK and competes against a handful of European manufacturers.”