Expanding labels and packaging group Asteria has made its fourth UK acquisition adding the ProPrint Group to a line that includes CS Labels, Berkshire Labels and Compliance Labelling Solutions. There has been no announcement on price for the cartons and labels operation located across three sites in Wellingborough.
Asteria CEO Ives Declerck says: “This move strengthens our leadership position in the UK and our further commitment to more circular, efficient and sustainable labelling solutions across Europe.”
It is buying a well invested group that generates sales of £10.5 million from cartons, printing on a Komori Lithrone GL640, and £11.9 million from the labels business where Screen and Edale inkjet press sit alongside conventional flexo presses. The most recent of these is a ten-colour Edale FL3 LED UV press installed a year ago and able to produce Linerless labels.
A prepress operation can direct artwork to any of the outputs using GMG’s ColorServer and Open Color software to ensure consistency across the processes.
The 2024 investment included tray forming equipment to keep pace with demand for easy recyclable packaging. The third Wellingborough site house a co-packing operation.
The deal gives Asteria its first litho printed carton capacity in the UK. And though there are other carton plants in the 36 site pan European group, it is label printing that dominates. The strategy is to print locally for major international corporations, creating a group by acquiring smaller scale independent printers to create a group capable of servicing the requirements of international companies, pharmaceutical and healthcare in particular, while continuing to deliver a personal service to a more localised customer base.
For Declerck the approach means that customers have access to a wider range of products, accelerated innovation through shared expertise, a wide selection of eco friendly products and the contingency and back up of a 36 site network.
Prior to this acquisition, Asteria had purchased LabelWorld in Ireland to follow that of LabelTech in May last year.
