Bunzl snaps up UK packaging firm and US barrier film specialist
Support services giant Bunzl has started 2017 where it left off in the previous year by revealing a brace of new acquisitions.
The purchase of packaging firm Woodway was agreed at the end of December. The Northampton-based firm provides products and solutions to across a variety of business sectors.
Read more: Bunzl can't wait until Black Friday to spend, spend, spend
Bunzl boss Frank van Zanten was pleased to have sealed the Woodway deal and stressed it had a key role to play in growing UK operations.
Woodway provides bespoke value-added services to its customers through a specialist technical services team who are able to work in collaboration with customers to offer a total solution for their packaging needs.
This expertise will be invaluable as we look to expand and develop our retail supplies business in the UK.
Revenue for Woodway totalled £31m for the year to June 2016 and the purchase follows a busy 2016 that saw Bunzl swallow up a range of smaller businesses that included Hungarian disposable food service distributor Silwell and UK-based Tri-Star Packaging Supplies and Blyth, a Prague-headquartered distributor of personal protection equipment.
Meanwhile, US-based Packaging Film Sales (PFS), a company that specialises in flexible barrier films and specialty bags and pouches, was swallowed up by Bunzl.
Read more: Shares in Bunzl bumble on flat revenues
"The purchase of PFS complements our food processor business in the US by further enhancing our product offering, particularly in relation to barrier films," said van Zanten.
PFS revenue totalled $6m over the last year.