More than 350 jobs on the line as Keating Group closes

No one could be contacted at the head office. Packaging News has learned that workers were initially informed the firm was going into liquidation, but that it was currently in discussion with Ernst & Young over the possibility of administration.

It is understood that there was "absolutely no expectation" of the move, which was blamed on a bank changing its mind about releasing money for the company.

The move is said to extend to all Keating Group's sites, which include a cylinder engraving facility in Bradley Fold, Lancashire, a printer in-plant facility in Livingston, Scotland, a repro site in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, and a site in Dublin.

Its international sites include cylinder production facilities in Izmir, Turkey, and Manila, Philippines, and a print and packaging repro site in Lund, Sweden.

Keating Group, set up over 20 years ago by Mike Keating, was taken over by Mike Samuel and Paul Musto in July last year.

A source at the Bradley Fold plant, which was still operating this morning, said that "this week will decide what happens" at "the greatest engraving plant in the world".

Keating Group supplies cylinders to Amcor Flexibles and has partnered with consumables giant Sun Chemical on gravure printing.

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