Macfarlane Group aims to smooth out the dent in its label profits after buying two firms for 5m.
Abbot Labels in Dublin cost Macfarlane 3.5m. It has 50 staff and produces Reseal-It food labels for supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsburys. Turnover is 4.5m.
Macfarlane also bought Reseal-It, the Swedish firm that owns the intellectual property on the labels.
The acquisitions would keep Macfarlane at the forefront of technological applications, it said.
The firm moved after its label division's operating profits fell by 600,000 last year to 1m (PrintWeek, 25 August).
Abbot Labels recently installed a 750,000 10-colour Comco ProGlide multiple-substrate press, which can print on material from film to cardboard.
Production director Daragh Whelan said the UV press would give consistency on longer runs and more colours on more substrates.
Assistant production director John Fields said it was the largest flexo label press in the country. The firm also owns an eight-colour ProGlide.
Story by Jez Abbott
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"Well done all involved... great to see the investment to increase the productivity in the same footprint- much more sustainable than popping another one up."
"From 1949 until the late 2000s Remploy had a network of government-subsidised factories that offered employment specifically to disabled people, originally often war veterans or victims of industrial..."
"Does appear an odd decision as with that level of shareholder funds they would be liable for the staff redundancy and cover the insolvency costs. It’s not like they could take the money and dodge..."
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