Paper, packing and visual communication materials distributor Antalis has expanded its Irish operations with the acquisition of Dublin-headquartered Swan Paper.
Antalis will retain the Swan brand, creating a new Swan Paper division, which will be headed up by Swan’s chief operating officer Brian McArdle.
He will report into Eoin Heagney, managing director of Antalis Ireland. The business will continue to operate from its base in Baldoyle, Dublin and all 13 current employees will transfer over to Antalis.
The deal will strengthen Antalis’ presence in Ireland where it has an annual turnover of more than 40m Euro, and employs 32 people from its Dublin head office.
Chief executive officer of Swan Paper, Tony Swan, comments: “I am incredibly proud to have built the business into the company it is today, but feel it is now time to take a step back from day-to-day operations. The next chapter in the Swan story is incredibly important to me and I believe that Antalis is the right business partner to take the company forward."
“Antalis’ approach to its people, product offering and customers are all very similar to our own. Our success has, in no small measure, been down to the ‘Swan Team’ approach and I am delighted that all of our talented and knowledgeable colleagues will transfer over to Antalis.”
Managing director of Antalis Ireland, Eoin Heagney, echoes this sentiment, adding: “This is an incredibly exciting development for Antalis which will see us significantly increase the size of our business in Ireland. The team at Swan has in-depth expertise, and a genuine entrepreneurial culture. Everyone involved is looking forward to bringing together our two businesses to offer an unrivalled product range and service to our customers.”
In a further boost for the paper distributor, Antalis has also commissioned 81 new trucks to overhaul its 160-strong fleet, investing £5m to bring its vehicles up-to-date. The new DAF Euro VI curtain-sided vehicles are designed to improve driver comfort and safety, as well as being more environmentally-friendly.
David Hunter, Antalis regional managing director for UK, Ireland, and South Africa, says of the news: “This is a significant investment in the future of the company. The new vehicles will modernise our existing fleet and ensure that our logistics operation is well-placed to support the changing needs of a dynamic and growing business. We look forward to putting the new fleet into service over the coming months.”
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