News

Macfarlane Group has snapped up packaging firm Bloomfield Supplies and hopes to buy more companies.

Macfarlane bought the 22-staff set-up in Gloucester for £2m to extend its reach into south-west England.

“Bloomfield will bring expertise in shelf-ready and retail-ready packaging and give us access to customers in logistics and big-name high-street retail,” said Macfarlane finance director John Love.

“We are unlikely to take on more staff but don’t intend to shed jobs, which reinforces our business-as-usual message. Our distribution team makes an £18m turnover and we hope this is the first of one or two acquisitions over the next couple of years.”

Colin Griffiths, owner-manager of Bloomfield, continues to head up sales and was praised as “excellent and enthusiastic”. Love said he also expected the new acquisition to add £1m to its £4m turnover “in the short term”.

Macfarlane Group chief executive Peter Atkinson said the acquisition would bring benefits for both companies.