Equipment

Benson Box is being tipped to make another acquisition in the shape of Integrated Packaging.

Industry sources say the Leicestershire firm has been in talks over the past couple of months to buy Gateshead-based Integrated, which prints cartons for the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer.

Both companies declined to comment as Packaging News went to press.

The deal would be the fourth major expansion of Benson Box since Mark Kerridge became managing director in 2002.

In 2004, the company bought the order book and staff of Robor Packaging, strengthening its position in the food packaging sector.

In 2006, it acquired Cheshire-based pharmaceutical packaging specialist Medica Packaging and Print Design and Graphics, the food packager based in Newcastle.

Integrated Packaging reported a pre-tax profit of just over £1m on sales of £16.7m for the year to March 2007.