The buy follows on from EBB’s acquisition of Dublin-based UniBoard in the summer of 2019.
The merchant said the deal to take over £28m turnover Warren Board would give it a market-leading position in board supply.
EBB managing director Matt Elliott commented: “The Elliott Baxter Group is now, not just the largest independently owned Paper Merchant in UK & Ireland, but also the largest Carton Board Merchant in UK & Ireland.”
Elliott was fulsome in his praise for the Warren Board founder Barry Pincott, who set up the business 44 years ago, and the firm's team. Pincott and business partner and director Anne Ferguson are planning to retire.
“Barry and his team have built a fantastic business, with great staff, loyal customers and excellent mill partners. Warren Board has been a leader in the supply of Carton Board grades for many years in the UK, as a competitor we have admired their professionalism, their stock range and the way they deal with the carton printers,” Elliott said.
Pincott said EBB was the ideal partner to take the company forward, and described the synergies between the two firms as “perfect”.
“With the help of our excellent board of directors, without whose help we could not have achieved the success we have today, it was felt we needed a partner who could invest and help us grow to reach our full potential.
“We have known the Elliott family for many years and knew they were the right people to trust with our company. The synergy is perfect and could not be more hand in glove. For many years we have been the largest independent carton board distributor in the UK, and now within EBB we can only see more success for the group as a whole.”
Warren Board has a Leicester warehouse that stores more than 10,000 pallets of stock, and a converting facility in West Bromwich that can handle in excess of 5,000 tonnes a year.
Both sites will continue to operate. EBB plans to gradually integrate the sales operation within its network over the course of 2021.
The deal completed on 14 December.
EBB will now hold more than 50,000 pallets of paper and board for next day delivery across the group.
Sales and marketing director Chris Sandwell said he was delighted about the deal.
“The increased product range, additional storage capacity and strength of the Warren Board brand fit perfectly with the EBB Group,” he said.
EBB had sales of more than £149m in its most recent accounts and is due to report its 2019 results shortly.
Warren Board had been a member of the Aims Group of independent merchants.
