Fourth acquisition this year for Graphius . The Belgian printing group strengthens its position in Brussels with the acquisition of Uccle-based Paperland, founded in 1976.
From January 2, Paperland will move five kilometers away, to the Graphius Brussels buildings in Beersel. All 30 Paperland jobs will be retained. Paperland's activities will continue to be managed by Philippe de Ribaucourt, son of Paperland's founder.
Graphius Brussels and Paperland, which generates sales of 1.3 million euros, will operate independently, but economies of scale will be achieved, enabling Paperland, among others, to benefit from the in-house finishing workshop.
Joost Vandendriessche, director of Graphius Brussels, comments: "The acquisition of Paperland is a well-considered decision that enables us to strengthen our presence in the Brussels region. The company has a well-established reputation in the production of high-quality printed matter and, by merging the expertise of both companies, we can enhance the level of service offered to our customers."
With sales of 127 million euros, Graphius is now Europe's fifth-largest printing specialist.
The sheet-fed printing group operates in four business sectors: catalogs and magazines, packaging and labels, corporate printing, comics, and mainly books.
Graphius now employs over 550 people at seven production sites in Belgium, France (PPO Graphic in Paris) and the UK.
Brothers Denis and Philippe Geers, CEO and CFO respectively and the third generation of the founder, intend to continue making acquisitions, both nationally and internationally. All functions remain centralized in Ghent, where a shared services center has also been set up.
