Moore Kingston Smith advises Asteria Group on ProPrint Group acquisition

Moore Kingston Smith has advised Asteria Labels & Packaging Group, a leading labelling and packaging solutions firm in Europe backed by Waterland Private Equity, on its acquisition of printing group ProPrint.

Asteria has become a leading force in the European labelling and packaging printing sector, driven by strategic investment from Waterland. Waterland is an independent private equity firm specialised in helping businesses achieve accelerated growth both organically and through acquisitions.

Asteria Group was established in 1985 in Belgium, and is headquartered in Gullegem, Flemish Region. From more than 35 advanced printing plants, the group offers a comprehensive range of labelling solutions and printing specialities and is committed to innovation and sustainability.

This move strengthens Asteria’s leading position in the UK and demonstrates its focus on more circular, efficient and sustainable labelling solutions across Europe.

ProPrint Group, founded in 2011, is a packaging printer operating from three sites spanning 7,246m2 in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, East Midlands. The firm specialises in self-adhesive labels, carton production and linerless labelling technology.

In this transaction, Moore Kingston Smith provided financial and tax due diligence. The team was led by Adele Hebditch, a director specialising in transaction services, supported by Florence Horne, a manager with the same speciality. Tom Acland, Tax Director, delivered the tax side of the transaction.

Julien Vermeersch, Investment Manager at Waterland, commented: “The acquisition of ProPrint is a significant milestone for Asteria and Waterland. In this fourth acquisition by Asteria in two years in the UK and Ireland, Moore Kingston Smith was a key partner. They combine extraordinary financial expertise with rigorous attention to detail and a willingness to go the extra mile to achieve a positive outcome. We rely on them to ensure that our new additions are a perfect fit to achieve our strategic and financial objectives.”

Adele Hebditch, Director at Moore Kingston Smith, concluded: “As always, it is a pleasure to work with Julien and the team at Waterland and Asteria. They have clear objectives and a vision of the Asteria that they want to build. It is a privilege to help them grow across the different markets they operate in and diversify their offering. We wish Waterland, Asteria and ProPrint all the success in this new chapter.”