Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

Crest’s Distribution Division, with sales of over £1 million, is particularly strong in the conversion and distribution of specialist papers. It also has a comprehensive range of corrosion inhibitor products. These products, branded ANTIRUST, include paper, film and chemicals.

Fillmore Packaging has a wide product range consisting of packaging materials and end-of-line packaging machinery.

The company has just completed a year of strong generic growth, with total sales rising over 6 per cent to £7.5 million per annum.

Bob Edwards, Fillmore’s managing director, said: “We are very pleased to have achieved 6 per cent generic growth in 2001/2 despite a very difficult packaging market.

“It reflects our ongoing investment in staff, IT systems and warehousing.

“Customers want to see reductions in their packaging supply chain costs and we have been innovative in terms of our approach to the logistics of packaging supply.

“This acquisition fits very well. Geographically it is very convenient in that we can retain all of the sales staff at Wellingborough.

“The transaction also introduces us to 450 new customers for Fillmore’s product range. Furthermore, Crest’s Distribution Division has a range of niche products which will be new to Fillmore’s existing 3,500 customers.”