Hatfield-based Charterhouse has signed a new three-year contract with E.ON, rumoured to be worth in excess of £15m, following the award of a first-time print management contract with Experian.

Gary Mahoney, chief executive of Charterhouse, said: "Renewing E.ON and signing a new contract with Experian were great for Charterhouse following an encouraging last quarter of 2008.

"I believe our ability to retain and win clients such as these is testament to the high levels of customer service and added value we offer."

The third generation E.ON contract, which is rumoured to be worth around £5m a year, runs until 2012 and includes the full range of E.ON's marketing print.

E.ON procurement executive Mike Case said: "Following a thorough and competitive tendering process, we're confident that Charterhouse will continue to deliver increased value and improved service to our business."

Meanwhile, the Experian contract, which covers all of its UK marketing print and is understood to be the first print management deal signed by the company, was awarded following a "lengthy tender process involving other print managers and manufacturers".

The latest contract win announcements seem to signal a potential upturn for the print management sector.

Earlier this week, Redactive Media Group's procurement and operations manager, Gary Smith, said he believed the current recession would prove to be a "boom time for print management" as companies looked to print management firms to help them cut costs.

Brightsource managing director Peter Frings echoed the sentiment, claiming clients are "increasingly looking for partners that can help them solve a much wider range of business problems".