It is understood by the Otago Daily Times that the sale was regarded as a rescue package for Taieri Print, which faced an uncertain future without a capital injection.
Kalamazoo Group managing director Steve D'Souza would not confirm the sale price when interviewed, but said it was a multimillion-dollar deal.
Mr D'Souza's group bought Wickliffe Logistics in 2010, but continued running the company with the help of Warren Leslie, the third generation of his family involved in Wickliffe.
Taieri Print and Wickliffe Solutions would merge their operations to form a graphic and logistics solutions group, which would employ more than 80 people in the region.
Kalamazoo, which had an annual turnover of about $75 million, had made no-one redundant from the group in the last five years, something Mr D'Souza said he was very proud of.
"I don't buy equipment and machinery. I import the culture and people. All of the 11 companies in the group are still existing businesses. Together we eliminate weaknesses. I don't need to put my stamp on every business."
A line under the masthead of each business identifying it as part of the Kalamazoo Group was enough recognition, he said.
"I don't have to change the name for it to be part of the family."
Taieri Print had a lot of strengths and a few weaknesses.
Eliminating those weaknesses would make the operation stronger and allow the combined Taieri-Wickliffe operations to service a much larger market from print to distribution.
Arriving in New Zealand in July 27, 2001, Mr D'Souza was employed as an accounts and sales manager for the then British-based larger Kalamazoo group, although the group was established in New Zealand in 1932.
The group now owned by Mr D'Souza (47) and his wife Odelia also incorporates Stocklink, Wyatt and Wilson Print, Astra Print and the Print Shop, operates modern facilities for print, storage and distribution in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland in addition to the Wickliffe and Kalamazoo plant in Auckland.
The company also owns and operates a large commercial sheet and heatset web offset plant in Bangalore, India.
Mr D'Souza said his mother and brother, in India, are part of that group. His family in India also run a shipping company, an automobile dealership and a logistics company.
"I'm a full Kiwi, not by birth but by heart. I am totally committed to this country and Dunedin, which will be an integral part of the business in the future."
Taieri Print started operating in 1881. In the last 36 years it has moved nine times to accommodate growth. Taieri was the first company in Australasia to buy a 10-colour press.
