PEACOCK GROUP TO BUY INSIGNIA FOR ADDITIONAL EXPERTISE

Peacock Group is to acquire insignia, a 55-year-old family-owned company specialising in labelling, coding and data capture solutions, with the deal set to go through on 31 May.

According to Peacock, the acquisition will see the Group become “the most experienced” print packaging and supply chain technology provider in Australia, and one with some 15,000 customers across the ANZ region.

The insignia name and business will remain, and will operate alongside the other Peacock Group businesses, and insignia will continue to operate as an independent entity within the Peacock Group. It will be business as usual for insignia, with production facilities operating as usual in Brisbane and Melbourne.

Peacock Group currently comprises 136-year-old label print and software operation Peacock Bros. and folding carton operation AMR Hewitts, which it bought from the Mimmo family two years ago. The addition of insignia and its 115 staff will add to the Group’s core competencies, with key skill sets and capabilities to see it operate in new markets, and which will see the Group jump to 300 staff overall.

According to the company, the acquisition of insignia gives Peacock expertise in product identification and traceability, with insignia working with leading brands in thermal printing, data capture, and marking and coding solutions. Those brands including Domino, Zebra, Honeywell, and GS1.

Ryan McGrath, managing director, Peacock Group, said, “The ability to identify and track goods from manufacturing through the supply chain and into retail settings is essential today. Leading the way is insignia, which is enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of critical business operations for Australian companies, and improving supply chains with advanced technologies. Peacock Group looks forward to supporting insignia’s highly regarded team and growing its business into the future.”

In addition to product identification and traceability, insignia – established in 1967 and currently owned by the Winson Group – is also a leading national label manufacturer, producing custom prime product labels, overprint labels, and blank labels and tags from its production facilities in Brisbane and Melbourne. Peacock Bros. is based in Melbourne, and also has facilities in Sydney –  where it runs its digital operation, as well as in Auckland, New Zealand.

The Peacock Bros. operation has both flexo and digital label print systems, including from HP Indigo. And, on top of printing, the company offers a huge range of services to its clients including warehousing, mobile data capture, digital ID solutions, software solutions, fleet management, and asset tracking.

The company says the acquisition of insignia by the family-owned Peacock Group, which was established in 1888, merges two of Australia’s most highly regarded and pre-eminent family-run businesses within the supply chain solutions industry.

McGrath said, “We are excited to welcome insignia to the Peacock Group; insignia has long been a respected competitor within our industry, and its professional team and expertise, combined with print manufacturing facilities, allows us to significantly expand our product and service offerings within the region, while also providing exciting opportunities for our staff, customers and partners.”

Operating nationally, insignia services 3500 customers, including multinational businesses across a broad range of industries including retail, transport and logistics, manufacturing, automotive, and food and beverage.

Jack Winson, managing director for insignia, said, “insignia is a proud family-run business with extensive experience solving complex operational challenges for leading brands in Australia. We are pleased to join the Peacock Group, another long-established family-owned business, which shares common values and is respected for the quality of its work. Our staff and customers can be reassured that the long history of our company and brand will continue well into the future with the support and backing of the Peacock Group.”

Jack Winson himself will not be making the move to Peacock; he will lead Signet, also a former Winson Group business, which has just been sold to Spicers.

The acquisition of insignia comes a year after Peacock Group bought printing, packaging and handheld computing specialist, OJ Holdings.