Smurfit Kappa has bought expanding corrugated print and conversion business Inspirepac from Logson Group in a £43.5 million deal and at the same time taken a controlling stake in Beacon Packaging.
Inspirepac has operations in Wetherby, where it runs an eight-colour Bobst Masterflex HQPP sheetfed printer and folder gluer, with other sites at Chesterfield, Dronfield and Runcorn. It is finishing a new 9,300m2 site at Markham Vale near Derby where a similar six-colour flexo folder gluer is to be installed alongside litho lamination, flatbed die cutting and digital print capacity., amounting to a £6 million investment in machinery. Currently the building work on the site is close to completion.
“The company has invested strongly over the past few years to position themselves to become one of the leaders in high quality corrugated packaging solutions together with fulfilment and contract packaging services,” says Smurfit Kappa. It provides retail ready and promotional corrugated as well as standard printed transit and protective packaging.
At the start of the Markham Vale project, Inspirepac CEO Chris Marples said: “Markham Vale takes our flexo and digital capabilities to another level and continues to challenge the offset litho market. These enhanced capabilities will ensure we stay ahead of the competition and gives peace of mind to our clients with regards to quality, colour consistency and brand integrity no matter the print process
Logson bought Inspirepac five years ago, enjoying significant investment and growth in the high quality sector of corrugated packaging and printing. Marples says: “Looking to the future, Smurfit Kappa is the natural home for our next phase of development, our culture is closely aligned to their philosophy and I am excited by the opportunities our combined strengths can bring to our customers.”
Logson will continue with Boxes and Packaging and Scott Packaging Glasgow where it has committed to invest £15 million this year, opening new sites for Boxes and Packaging and looking for additional acquisitions.
The acquisition follows 18 months after Smurfit’s purchase ofCRP Packaging, a litho preprint and bag-in-the-box wine specialist printer.
Ironically Smurfit Kappa is subject of speculation that International Paper is mulling a £6 billion bid for the business. This would return International Paper to the packaging print industry having previously bought and subsequently divested food, cigarettes, pharmaceutical and entertainment sector carton printer Shorewood Packaging.
Inspirepac installed a Bobst Masterflex when upgrading its Wetherby plant. It is buying a similar HQPP flexo press for its Markham Vale plant along with digital printing and litho lamination.
