Irish packaging company Zeus acquires UK manufacturer in latest deal

John Weedon, Weedon managing director, Brian O’Sullivan, Zeus founder and owner, Peter Weedon, Weedon operations director

Caoimhe Gordon

Irish packaging company Zeus has acquired UK company Weedon Group for an undisclosed sum.

Weedon Group, which is based in Manchester and Staffordshire, is a manufacturer of corrugated packaging. It employs over 250 people, with annual revenues of around £30m.

It produces packaging for e-commerce, retail, point of sale displays and industrial transit.

Zeus reported that the deal will bring its annual sales up to around €560m. The company was targeting revenues of €500m last year.

The purchase of the Weedon Group also forms part of the Irish company’s strategy to move away from plastic-based production.

“Our investment strategy is also focussing on paper-based solutions over traditional plastic-based production,” Zeus group chief executive Keith Ockenden said.

“We now have robust in-house capabilities along the entire paper supply chain, from raw material processing to manufacturing, right through to distribution and retail,” Mr Ockenden added.

Weedon Group’s managing director John Weedon said that the combined business will offer a “strong ‘independent’ alternative” for those looking for packaging.

“When taking the decision to sell the business, it was important we aligned with a business looking to invest and grow in the paper and corrugated sector,” Mr Weedon said.

“Zeus has demonstrated a commitment to the provision of complete sustainable packaging solutions for businesses along with added value services and continuous improvement principles that look to assist supply chain efficiency,” he added.

The purchase of the UK group is the latest acquisition by Zeus, which is headquartered in Dublin.

Last year, the group, which was founded over 25 years ago, purchased four businesses.

This included NIPS Ordungssysteme GmbH, a packaging solutions firm based in Germany last July.

It also acquired Italian paper company Cima Paper, as well as Northern Irish print and packaging business James Hamilton Group, last June.

In February 2023, it acquired Polish packaging materials and distribution group Polpack.

Zeus has operations in 58 locations across the world, employing 1,300 people in 38 countries. Last year, it also opened a logistics facility in Watergrasshill in Cork, creating 40 jobs at the site.

The group has grown at an average rate of 22pc since 2018, it reported.