Big Spark goes into liquidation

Big Spark Publishing has gone into liquidation with debts of nearly £360,000, its majority shareholder has announced.

Self Select Distribution, which held a 75% stake in the Bolton-based firm, said the publishing company suffered after losing contract print jobs and continuing to support failing titles.

Stewart Leece, managing director of Self Select Distribution, said: "Big Spark Publishing was a fast moving dynamic publishing company that attempted to attack the recession hit publishing industry head on by launching a range of printed publications against the tide.

"Failing titles without the necessary advertising support continued to be financially supported, whilst the contract publishing and design work fell away due to the recession.

"Declining revenues and increasing costs forced a decision to place the company into the hands of the administrators, Beever and Struthers."

Big Spark, which specialised in publishing a variety of magazines for airports across the UK, was set up in early 2003 by Stuart Parker, a former marketing services manager at Manchester Evening News. Self Select bought into the firm in 2007.

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