Milton Keynes-based Polestar 4c will handle the group's brochures and operational print for companies including Cosmoair, Cosmos Tourama, Avro, Monarch Airlines and Monarch Aircraft Engineering.

All of its brochures and direct mail will be printed by Polestar, while operational print such as business forms will be sourced from other printers.

"Polestar had printed brochures for Cosmos but the group wanted to bring all of its print operations together to get best spend," said Polestar 4c managing director Matt Spencer.

The tender process lasted for 10 months and Polestar 4c was awarded the contract from a shortlist of four.

"While an agreement of this magnitude and complexity will take a considerable amount of time and effort to integrate, the best way of achieving the benefits and value is by committing long term," said Monarch Holdings head of group UK procurement Craig Cherry. Spencer said that 4c's investment in technology was one factor which helped it win the contract.

"Polestar 4c has huge growth potential, particularly as print management is one of the fastest growing areas in the industry. The market is certainly developing," he added. He joined the division as managing director earlier this year having previously been business development director of Polestar Applied Solutions (PrintWeek, 29 April).

Polestar 4c was formed last year and is an autonomous business that will source print from outside Polestar if required. It is ranked 16th in PrintWeek's top 20 table of print management firms with a turnover of 12.5m.

Story by Philip Chadwick