Autopack hits the acquisition trail with deal to buy Nottingham namesake

Leading independent integrator of packaging lines Autopack has bought Nottingham-based Autopak Machinery, a designer and manufacturer of bespoke bag filling and handling equipment. The move furthers Autopack’s capabilities in the flexible packaging market and continues to build its wider offer in processing and packaging lines for businesses across the UK.

Autopak Machinery will be rebranded as APM and the move follows the retirement of the company’s founder Aubrey Davies. The management team will remain in place and Autopack’s strategy is to invest in new product development.

Autopack Managing Director, Wayne Kedward, said: This acquisition of APM is another piece in our strategy to become a one-stop-shop for our customers. Keeping in place the current management team is central to our plan to grow the business and maintain the promise to our customers; we give quality advice with quality machinery.

With its headquarters in Hereford, Autopack is a leading independent supplier of packaging and processing machinery to the food, drink, chemical, cleaning and personal care sectors. The deal with APM is its third acquisition and brings the total turnover of the group to £17m. In 2020, it bought Spanish flexible packaging equipment specialists Postpack. This was followed by the addition of Gainsborough-based engineering business Technosys.

Wayne Kedward continued: Every packaging line that we deliver is underpinned by our approach to building lasting partnerships with our customers. This drives our success, and our team bring their invaluable knowledge to each and every project that they work on. The addition of the APM team not only brings the number of employees across the group up to 58, but it also further enhances our extensive technical knowledge, ensuring that we remain the UK’s leading independent integrator of packaging and processing lines.

Aubrey Davies added: Autopack’s strategy and immense experience bodes well for the future of APM. I’m delighted that our management team will be on hand to work on a wide range of projects. It’s also a huge boost that investment will be at the heart of Autopack’s strategy as the business focuses on delivering for a growing range of flexible and rigid packaging customers.

www.auto-pack.co.uk