Restore Information Management has acquired Bristol direct mail and transactional printer MPS Marketing Services in a £2.3 million deal to bolster its print and mailing capability.
The £300 million document management and storage business bought Synertec last year as its first acquisition to bring print production in house. MPS follows on from that. RIM managing director Nigel Dews says: “This acquisition reflects our continued investment in services to help customers communicate securely, efficiently and at scale.
“MPS brings highly regarded expertise and strong relationships across local government, complementing our existing support for councils, the NHS and the wider public sector.”
There was no previous relationship between the two businesses. However, Dews says: “MPS has an excellent reputation within the industry and has been well known to us for many years as a highly respected provider of print and marketing services. Throughout the acquisition process, we were impressed by the quality of the business, its customer relationships and its strong cultural fit with us.”
RIM handles document scanning and data management from 72 sites across the UK, making it the largest company of its type in the country. The NHS is a major customer. Its outbound communications cover both digital and printed messages and is growing.
This has called for an increased ability to manage outbound customer communications, leading in turn to the acquisition of Synertec in March last year. “We now operate multiple production print and mail facilities across the UK with substantial capacity to deliver high volume transactional and customer communications services,” he says.
“As organisations continue to seek trusted partners that can manage both physical and digital customer communications, we see significant opportunities to broaden our capabilities and strengthen our market position. MPS adds complementary expertise, an attractive customer base and additional scale, enabling us to accelerate our growth strategy whilst continuing to enhance service for customers.”
There are no requirements for immediate investment with the focus being on supporting existing customers and staff. Owner and managing director Robert Fagnani steps down from the business.
A sale of this nature provides a clean break and has been preferred to some kind of management buyout or employee trust arrangement. The highly experienced Chris Walton became a director in March last year and had helped drive efficiencies in the business and bring in new work, but he stepped down from the business at the end of last month.
Instead MPS will form part of the RIM Outbound Communications operation where Tom Baldock, previously director of Synertec, is managing director. “By bringing together MPS’s expertise with Restore’s scale and technology capabilities, we are creating a stronger platform for growth and an even broader range of services for our customers. We remain committed to supporting organisations as they navigate an increasingly complex communications landscape, where both physical and digital channels continue to play a vital role,” he says.
