Belfast headquartered firm Northside Graphics has announced the acquisition of Media Design and Print, in a move that will see its turnover exceed £11million and employee numbers grow to over 80.
Established in 1988, online digital printing platform business Northside Graphics offers a diversified, customisable, and high-quality product portfolio with market leading turnaround times. In 2024 the firm announced a major investment by London based Bestport Private Equity, which it said would accelerate its UK and Ireland growth through a combination of organic growth and strategic acquisitions.
In the first of these strategic acquisitions, Media Design and Print and its 10 employees will move from its base on Belfast’s Newtownards Road to join Northside at its Dargan Crescent headquarters in the city.
Northside Graphics Managing Director Richard Campbell said that the acquisition would further strengthen the firm’s market-leading position.
“Northside Graphics currently offers the widest range of printed products within Northern Ireland, and this will be further enhanced by several bespoke products offered by Media Design and Print, bringing us a unique competitive advantage,” he said.
“As a highly respected business within the print industry in Northern Ireland, Media Design and Print also brings a huge amount of experience and a loyal customer base to the Northside business.
“Having recorded exceptional growth and success in recent years, we have every confidence that this acquisition will support our continued growth trajectory in the coming years.”
Media Design and Print was established by the Beckinsale family in 2007 and stemmed from Media Marketing, which was founded by the family in 1987.
Michael Beckinsale, partner at Media Design and Print, commented: “Our acquisition by Northside Graphics is testament to our reputation for excellence in the printing sector, thanks to our outstanding staff and the support of our loyal customer base over the past 38 years.
“We see great synergies between our business and Northside – both in terms of our product offering and our combined expertise in the digital print industry and the online arena, in which Northside operates so widely across the UK and Ireland.”
Northside Graphics operates four ‘Upload and Print’ websites in the UK and Ireland: DigitalPrinting.co.uk, TradeDigitalPrint.co.uk, DigitalPrinting.ie and TradeDigitalPrint.ie. The firm has won multiple awards over the years, winning the top award for ‘Customer Service Team of the Year’ at the Irish Print Awards in 2024 and the prestigious Printweek award for UK ‘Company of the Year’ in 2023.
Northside Graphics was advised in the transaction, which completed on 31 March 2025, by Davidson McDonnell. Media Design and Print was advised by Turley Legal.
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