St-Luc Labels & Packaging takes over Pharmalabel
Pharmalabel is a package printing company specializing in labels for the pharmaceutical sector. Pharmalabel was founded in 1965 and produces self-adhesive labels and booklet labels for the pharmaceutical and chemical industry, for hospitals and laboratories. In addition, it also prints aluminum and PP blister film for these sectors, and has developed a series of products specifically for sterilization processes and sterile environments. Air Liquide, Bayer, Baxter, GSK, Monsanto and Novartis are among its customers.
With the takeover, St-Luc Labels & Packaging now has four branches in three countries: St-Luc Labels & Packaging (labels, shrink sleeves and flexible packaging) in Belgium, Microbox (folding carton) in France, and Altrif Label (labels and booklets) and Pharmalabel (pharmaceutical packaging) in the Netherlands. This latest acquisition also sees it expand into a market in which it is not yet active.
Fanny Dhondt, managing director at St-Luc Labels & Packaging, said: ‘Pharmalabel is a family business where there was no family succession. It immediately clicked between us, because we are also a 100 percent family business. For the management of Pharmalabel, this family security and care for the employees was an absolute condition. For us, Pharmalabel was a great opportunity to build a solid foundation in the pharmaceutical industry, a new and strongly growing market segment.’
Jerome Dhondt, CEO at St-Luc Labels & Packaging, commented: ‘We strongly believe in the growth potential of quality package printing. That is why we have invested heavily in recent years, both in new digital printing presses, in skilled people but also in takeovers. After Altrif in 2016, we can now add another great company to our group. Pharmalabel is an established business and with its experience in export to 30 countries, it is also the most international company in our group.’
Niko Dhondt, also managing director at St-Luc Labels & Packaging, continued: ‘Thanks to our continuous pursuit of innovation and quality, we have continued to grow organically, but acquisitions ensure a dynamic boost in growth. We are very ambitious with Pharmalabel. There is enormous growth potential and we can now also offer our other products, such as shrink sleeves, cardboard boxes and digitally printed flexible packaging, to the pharmaceutical market. In addition, we realize that the packaging world will still know a further consolidation of companies. We want to be at the head of the pack.’
After the acquisition, the team that observes the daily management at Pharmalabel remains in place. Gert Dietvorst, operations manager at Pharmalabel, said: ‘What is great is that many employees have been working for Pharmalabel for more than 30 years. That says a lot about the company and the team.’
In the short term, St-Luc Labels & Packaging wants to strengthen the sales department of Pharmalabel.
‘After the acquisition of Altrif, we had already strengthened our commercial team in the Netherlands and we will now also do this at Pharmalabel,’ said Nike Dhondt.