mda bought by European group

Blackburn-based marketing distribution specialist mda has been bought by Staci, giving the company greater reach into Europe.

mda creates, stores and distributes point-of-sale and marketing materials for brands such as Heineken, Coca-Cola, Mars, Unilever, Diageo and Mercedes-Benz.

Staci is a £250m fulfilment specialist with 35 sites across Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands and a workforce of 1,550 employees.

Wayne Chapman, mda managing director, said: "mda wasn’t up for sale, but Staci recognised the fantastic service and value we deliver and the fit between both companies really is perfect. This is going to create a lot of opportunities for growth and learning for existing and prospective team members and clients in the UK and Europe.

"This is genuinely fantastic news for our clients and teams and we’re extremely excited about the years ahead because it’s going to help continue the incredible growth we’ve experienced over the last five years."

mda was established more than 30 years ago, and last year fulfilled 2 million orders and amassed turnover in excess of £50m.

Wayne added: "In the last 24 months we’ve seen clients desire to operate facilities in multiple European territories under a single contract significantly increase. "This acquisition means for the first time ever the world’s biggest brands can start to manage complex marketing distribution across Europe, and having presence in all key territories is absolutely vital to that. We couldn’t be happier that we’re a part of it."