East London printer Vitesse Print has become the latest print business to suffer in the current financial crisis.

　　The London Bridge-based company, which employs around 45 staff, is set to be liquidated following a meeting scheduled for the morning of 29 January at liquidator Abbott Fielding's site in Kent. 

　　It is currently unclear whether the company is continuing to trade in the run-up to the meeting, but it is understood some staff have been made redundant.

　　However, Aldridge Print Group (APG), winner of PrintWeek's Business Magazine Printer of the Year last year, has stepped in to offer some of the staff jobs.

　　Robert Aldridge, managing director at APG, told PrintWeek: "During Friday afternoon and into this week our company offered key members of staff positions at our factory in Mitcham.

　　"At this stage the staff had formally been made redundant and were looking for work which we were in a position to offer them.

　　"The management team are still conducting interviews and are unsure how many staff may finally take our offer of employment."

　　He added: "We intend to face up to the complicated and difficult trading period with a degree of aggression.

　　"It is not in our top drawer to reduce throughput. We believe we are good enough to grow the business in recessionary times and we believe we will come out in 2010 a winner."

　　At this stage it is unclear how many Vitesse staff have been let go. Managing director Richard Pickin has been unavailable for comment.