Williams Lea is set to dominate the UK public sector publishing market after acquiring The Stationery Office (TSO) in a deal worth around £120m.
TSO is the UK’s largest publisher by volume and is currently owned by venture capital group Apax Partners. It is the leading public sector document and publishing services brand, and has trade titles such as the Highway Code.
Williams Lea, founded in London in 1820 as a printing business, now supplies information management and business process services to investment banks, legal firms, telecoms and car manufacturers. It is majority owned by DHL parent Deutsche Post.
The deal, expected to be completed within two months subject to competition clearance, launches Williams Lea into the public sector outsourcing market, covering publishing and wider business processes.
Williams Lea chief marketing officer Melanie Fitzpatrick said TSO would remain as a separate organisation and retain its own branding and identity.
“The main reason we have bought it is to extend our proposition to the public sector. It’s very complementary and a good fit with Williams Lea.”
TSO will trade as the public sector division of Williams Lea, headed up by existing chief executive Richard Dell. “It’s business as usual,” Fitzpatrick said.
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