Trans Tasman digital and finishing supplier Currie Group has acquired Melbourne based packaging business Universal Print Partners (UPP), continuing its growth in its labels and packaging business and expanding its portfolio of products.
UPP covers self-adhesive labels, flexible packaging, carton and corrugated packaging markets. For a number of years UPP has been a supplier to the printing, packaging and converting industries with significant growth.
Currie Group, best known as a supplier to the commercial offset industry, has moved recently into packaging supplies. The expanded Currie Group product portfolio now includes agencies such as AB Graphics, Omet, Karville and Schober Technologies, and of course it supplies the HP Indigo range of label printing solutions.
David Currie, executive chairman Currie Group, says “We are excited about the benefits of Currie and UPP coming together. UPP’s packaging expertise and market knowledge combined with Currie Group’s Australia and New Zealand extensive sales, service and customer support infrastructure will bring excellent opportunities to Currie Group’s customer base. Customers will now have access to the expanded product portfolio, with the support of one of Australia and New Zealand’s leading equipment and service providers behind them.”
Managing director of UPP Tim Stafford, and technical sales manager, John Murray, will join the Currie Group team. Stafford says, “With the growing success of Universal Print Partners, it was a natural position to join a well-positioned and successful business as the Currie Group. With all that Universal Print Partners brings to the Currie Group it creates a one stop solution to the labels and packaging sectors, whilst still focusing on offering the best capital equipment and return on investment programs. All entities associated with Universal Print Partners are excited on the extended support we can now offer the market place”.
Mark Daws, general manager of the Labels and Packaging Division for Australia and New Zealand Currie Group, says, “With the success of HP Indigo products in the region - and soon to be released fourth generation platforms from HP - we recognise the labels and packaging segment as continuing to grow significantly. With premium brands such as Omet and ABG in UPP’s range of offerings, we see these technologies as much complementary to our existing range of digital and conventional products, offering our customers complete solutions ranging from conventional UV inks, flexo capability, digital printing and a range of vision inspection and converting technology to suit all label and packaging applications”.
