AUSTRALIA – Leading label print business Peacock Bros. has entered the folding carton market with the acquisition of AMR Hewitts, the specialist pharmaceutical and food print and packaging operation.

The deal will see the AMR Hewitts brand, Tullamarine factory, employees, plant and equipment remain as is, with the Hewitts owners the Mimmo family departing.

Peacock Bros. says it will lead to the “smart packaging revolution” and digitized product solutions coming from AMR Hewitts, in what it describes as a time of “strong growth opportunities”.

Major companies that work with AMR Hewitts include Aspen Pharmacare Australia, Ferndale Foods, and BIC Australia.

Ryan McGrath, group managing director at Peacock Bros. said, “We are delighted to announce the coming together of two of the great family-run printing businesses in Australia, with 280 years of combined printing history, to create the most experienced local printing group in the country.”

“The acquisition of AMR Hewitts will further strengthen Peacocks’ offerings in the printed packing marketplace, complementing our current range of color labels and flexible packaging products.”

The 35 staff at AMR Hewitts will join the 125 at Peacock Bros., spread across its manufacturing plants in Melbourne, Sydney, and Auckland.

Matt Mimmo from AMR Hewitts said, “AMR Hewitts is a proud, family-run, business, with long-standing customers, who have come to know and trust the quality of our work.”

“We are so pleased to be joining the Peacocks Group, given their shared values and operating culture, and knowing that our staff and customers will be looked after and that the long history of the business and our brand will continue to grow into the future.”

Both companies have innovation in their DNA. AMR Hewitts was the first business to introduce aqueous coating into Australia.

It has a range of enhancements including pearlescence, holographic, hot and cold foiling and braille, with security printing options including color shift technology, micro printing, holograms, and coin reactive inks.

Meanwhile, Peacock Bros. has both flexo and digital label print systems, and as well as printing offers a huge range of services to its clients, including warehousing, mobile data capture, fleet management, and asset tracking.

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