The deal was completed yesterday (11 January) and follows Premier’s acquisitions last year of luxury packaging and retail display company WBC and packaging and lamination films supplier Zulu Packaging.

GPMI has a strong and established position in the Irish market, supplying both the commercial print and sign and display sectors. With warehouses and offices in Dublin and Belfast, the business has a turnover of around €28m (£24.8m) and employs 50 staff, all of whom will be retained as part of the deal.

Premier Paper Group CEO Michael Beever described GPMI as “an exciting addition to the group”.

“These latest acquisitions are consistent with our strategy of achieving good organic growth, based on our traditional paper merchanting foundations, together with selected acquisitions in new but complementary markets,” he said.

GPMI managing director Enda Brophy added: “Being part of Premier will open up many opportunities for GPMI and will allow us to further develop our service offer and product choice to our customers.

“Being part of Premier and the wider global OVOL Japan Pulp and Paper Group [which acquired Premier in 2019] gives our customers and suppliers confidence and reassurance of our commitment to the future of the print and graphical communications market.

“I am looking forward to starting the next phase of our development during 2023 as part of the Premier organisation.”

Premier told Printweek that GPMI would retain its identity, but further details of the deal were not disclosed.

The Premier Paper Group recorded a turnover of £187m in 2021.