Printing group likely to go on the market

ADARE, the printing group and academic book publisher, is being primed for a sale by its private equity owners.

The company is being valued at around €220 million and a sale could net its chief executive Nelson Loane up to €40 million.

Mr Loane holds around 18% of the company’s share with private equity Allen McGuire & Partners owning the remainder. Mr Loane, made around €15 million when the company was bought by Allen McGuire five years ago.

Adare is most likely to be sold to a rival printing group as it would difficult for another private equity bidder to squeeze out more profits as the business is already managed efficiently.

In addition to CJ Fallon, Adare also prints season tickets for Everton and Newcastle United, the premiership football clubs. It prints documents for HBOS, Thomas Cook, Dixons, Pizza Hut, Ford, The Economist magazine, BUPA, Telewest and Capital One, the US credit card company.

A spokeswoman said they conducting a strategic review with a disposal of the company one of the options being considered. A flotation on the stock exchange has not been rule.