Two Staffordshire packaging firms have been acquired by an Irish counterpart in a deal worth more than €25 million.
Global packaging solutions company Zeus has bought Swanline Group, based in Stone, and its sister company BoxMart which is based in Shenstone, near Lichfield.
The move represents a "huge opportunity" for all three parties and means Zeus is on track to be the largest sole shareholder packaging company in the world by 2023.
Zeus CEO Keith Ockenden said: "It is a significant day for Zeus as we continue our current investment strategy with the acquisition of two very strong players in the UK packaging sector.
"Swanline Group and BoxMart bring with them long-established customer bases, in-depth knowledge about their respective sectors, and dedicated diverse teams who are committed to serving their customers.
"As a combined entity, we have enhanced our reach and offering across the UK, with further opportunity to maximise efficiencies across our distribution and supply chains, whilst broadening our product and service offerings to our existing customers."
Established in 2001, Swanline Group is the UK's leading trade-only supplier of paper-based materials, print and conversion services to the packaging and point-of-sale sectors.
It employs more than 150 people at four purpose-built sites on the Whitebridge Industrial Estate in Stone.
BoxMart is an award-winning packaging supplier offering UK-made gift, retail and ecommerce packaging. Clients include Lush, Fever Tree and Moet Hennessy.
Swanline CEO Nick Kirby said: "We're very much looking forward to joining together with Zeus as they, as a company, hold such similar values to us. We're passionate about sustainability, and proud of our plastic-free portfolio of materials.
"We want to make it clear to all our stakeholders and customers that there will be absolutely no change in how we operate here at Swanline, it will be business as usual."
Managing director of BoxMart, Jo Offord, added: "This is an exciting moment for BoxMart. Our creative bespoke packaging services and online shop for stock packaging products will dovetail perfectly with Zeus Packaging's own range of services and products.
"Customers will still enjoy the great customer service and award-winning packaging we are renowned for, whilst knowing we are part of a global business with a culture that matches our own."
