The print manager in Tonbridge, Kent, will oversee production of marketing, direct mail and point-of-sale work for the UK ice cream and frozen food division and the UK foods arm. It will also manage corporate as well as product literature.

"This win represents a tremendous opportunity for IPS and we are pleased such a well-respected organisation has placed confidence in us," said managing director Andrew Balcombe.

His firm won a competitive tender to handle the print needs for well-established brands including Flora, SlimFast, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Birds Eye, Marmite and Magnum.

Balcombe said his firm struck lucky because of its ability to "promote cost-effective services without compromising on stringent service quality needs".

But Balcombe was tight-lipped on details of who he beat to land the "long-term" deal or of the print volumes and the contract's value. However, IPS relies on a European roster of firms and expects most of the work to be done in this country.

Balcombe added that Unilever had experience of using print managers and this was not a sole-supply contract. He said IPS was one of the fastest-growing PM firms and worked with T-Mobile, Sony Europe, ING Direct and Masterfoods.

It has been a specialist provider of marketing print and direct marketing since 1996 and runs a mailing and fulfilment operation.

Unilever boasts annual UK sales of 2.5bn and has been serving the UK for more than 100 years. Nearly half of its 40 brands are market leaders, it claims, including the Magnum, Flora, Marmite and Birds Eye names IPS will handle.

Story by Jez Abbott