MY Holdings has followed up its purchase of Low & Bonars European packaging division - now renamed MY Cartons - by landing a massive new pan-European carton contract.
Another high-speed gluing line has been installed at the former L&B plant in Holland to fulfil the contract, which is for 100m cartons a year. MYs chief executive John Monks could not name the customer, a consumer products company, because of a confidentiality covenant.
MY bought the operations from L&B for 80m on 21 June. The deal covered the former Waddington Cartons and Bonar Cartons plants in Leeds, Rubicon in Leicester, Bonar Automation (now named MY Cartons - Packing Systems) in Leeds, and factories in Holland and Belgium. The Bonar Pack Centre, a joint venture with Gillette, was not included, but Monks said he might consider buying it separately.
With 11 printing sites, the enlarged MY is Europes fourth-largest carton maker, and second in the UK behind Field Boxmore - a position Monks wants to improve on. "You dont need to be biggest to be best, but I must admit there is a certain amount of desire in me to be first in the UK," he said.
The company also has eight plants printing plastics or labels and leaflets.
More "niche" acquisitions are being actively sought. "We cant stop here," Monks said. "You cant be half pregnant."
The Dutch plant is not the only one to secure new work or receive new equipment recently. MYs Packing Systems business has just sold its 14th carton closer to Birds Eye Walls, he Bridgwater plastics site has installed a new 8-colour tub printer, and the Portsmouth healthcare cartons plant has bought two new 6-colour Komori presses.
Story by Tania Mason