Bartash Printing Equipment to Be Auctioned Off, Including 7 Coldset Web Offset Presses

February 2019 will serve as a sad, final footnote for a longtime Philadelphia-based newspaper and publication web offset printer. The equipment and other assets of Bartash Printing, which closed its doors on Nov. 30 after a 66-year run, are slated to be auctioned off online. When the news of Bartash closure first broke, I wrote an extensive article about what likely led to the company's demise, which can be accessed by clicking here.

The Bartash auction is being conducted by The Branford Group. According to its website, bidding will begin Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019, at 8 a.m. EST. There will also be a one-day preview and open inspection on Feb. 4 from 9 a.m- 4 p.m. at the printer's former 100,000-sq.-ft. location at 5400 Grays Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia. In addition, the auction house indicated that it will entertain pre-auction offers on the major equipment.

A wide range of items are up for sale, including five Tensor T-1400 coldset web offset presses ranging up to four units, an eight-color Didde web and a five-color Goss Comunity web press. Among the bindery equipment are three Muller Martini saddle stitchers, two six-station and one eight-station model. Also offered are several 44˝ HP DesignJet wide-format printers, including a 2016-era T7200 printer, as well as two Creo platesetters, and much more.

Bartash closed on Nov. 30, laying off 163 employees. There were some rumors emanating that Richard Mager, chief restructuring officer, was trying to salvage the company as a scaled-back operation but, given the upcoming auction, his attempts were unsuccessful.