Bower told ProPrint: "[The sales process] is going well – very well indeed. We hope to have it completed in the next month."

He described the New Zealand business as "an outstanding business" that had generated a "high level of interest".

Bower wouldn't be drawn on the number of interested parties or whether Blue Star was seeking a partial sale or a whole-of-company sale.

He would only reveal: "We've got a number of different routes we're pursuing."

[Feature: Selig buyout offers stability]

Bower also denied speculation his appointment in November 2011 had been on the understanding he would offload Blue Star's Australian and New Zealand operations and then move on.

"We had a very clear plan to develop the business and grow the business. As time went on, it seemed the best strategy was to sell it, but that wasn't the original plan," he told ProPrint.

CaxtonWeb boss Geoff Selig bought the Australian side of Blue Star in November and was subsequently named number one on the 2012 ProPrint Power 50.

[LinkedIn: What would be the best result from the NZ sale process?]

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