A new chapter is beginning at Escourbiac. More than sixty years after it was founded by the father of Philippe and Alain Escourbiac, the printing company in Graulhet, in the Tarn department, is joining the Messages Group, led by Renaud Lucot. The discussions, which began a year ago, culminated in the sale on June 17.
"This decision was neither random nor made in haste. Quite the contrary. We wanted to take the time to find a partner who shares our values, our commitment to French craftsmanship, and our vision for the industry. The Messages Group seemed like the obvious choice." Philippe and Alain Escourbiac point out.
Run for nearly thirty years by the two brothers, the printing company?which specializes in high-end printing, such as photo books and art books, has annual revenue of 7.6 million euros, and employs 49 people?was approached by Messages in June 2025.
Based in Toulouse in Haute-Garonne, the acquiring company employs approximately 95 people and offers offset and digital printing, finishing, and direct mail services. Its 5,000 m² production facility allows it to carry out all of these operations in-house without outsourcing.
Messages also operates several online printing sites (CoolLibri, which specializes in print-on-demand and self-publishing; Monpackaging.com, which focuses on custom packaging; and Unjourunique, which specializes in greeting cards).
The printing company is also part of the Herl Invest group, which includes the postpress facility La Reliure Française in Limoges, and Printcorp, a print management company specializing in the production of printed materials?primarily for the publishing industry?with locations in Paris and Brittany.
For Escourbiac, this transaction addresses a succession issue. Since no family member wished to take over the company, the executives decided to sell it to Messages. Messages is thus acquiring a company, expertise, an industrial site, and a brand all at once.
"A new era is dawning. By joining a group whose capabilities are perfectly complementary to those of the other entities, we will certainly see mutual enrichment in terms of processes, quality, and business." , says Alain Escourbiac.
This transfer is accompanied by a change in the company's ownership structure. Benoît Brunet, who has served as Escourbiac's production director for several years, is acquiring a stake in the company. Alain Escourbiac remains the sales manager, while Philippe Escourbiac and his wife are leaving the family business.
The teams, sales representatives, and the name of the printing company remain the same.
