Two arms of a packaging firm are to combine after a raft of investment in new facilities and the acquisition of a print firm.
Easypack and its sister firm Pop Displays have run as two stand-alone firms, but in shared facilities at their headquarters in Mildenhall.
But now the two, set up by a father and son, are to merge after a major revamp of their Finchley Road premises, including adding a new creative suite.
Work has already started on a new 10,000sq ft warehouse.
The revamp will benefit Watton-based print firm Rapide, which has been bought by Pop Displays and is to become a subsidiary of the soon-to-be-merged firms, as it relocates to Mildenhall.
Easypack specialises in making corrugated packaging while Pop Displays creates point-of-purchase packaging and pre-filled display units for major firms, numbering Tesco and United Biscuits among its clients.
Chris Hall, chief executive of the group, said success was partly due to finding a gap in the market and filling it well with a strong ethos on design.
He said the purchase of Rapide and the expansion of the premises with a new warehouse would set the ground for the two firms to merge into one and would mean a broader range of products for customers.
"It is just a natural extension to what we do," he said.
"What Rapide has will be a further product offering to our total product base.
"It is different but along the same lines as what we are doing."
Easypack was launched by Mr Hall's father, John, in 1977. Chris Hall, 38, worked at his father's firm before deciding to co-found Pop Displays in 1999 as a stand-alone business, although based at his father's site.
Pop Displays went from strength to strength and in 2004 Mr Hall junior bought out Easypack, but kept the two firms separate.
Joint turnover increased from £4m in 2004 to £6m last year and is projected to be £6.75m this year following the purchase of Rapide.
Easypack has about 50 employees. |