News

Direct mail house Pepper Communications has boosted its turnover to £11.3m following the acquisition of B1 commercial printer TL Visuals.

Bristol-based TL Visuals, which turned over £7m last year, was put up for sale by owner Charles Lewitt, who is retiring from the company.

Jude Whitford, commercial director at Pepper Communications, said the acquisition "is a strategic fit with no overlaps. There is a synergy by bringing these two companies together."

TL Visuals prints for a range of clients including Lloyds TSB, C & G and Axa. Its battery of Heidelberg B1 long-perfectors will complement Pepper Communication's setup that features digital kit as well as B2 and B3 machines.

Whitford said: "B1 work we would have previously outsourced can now be carried out at the Bristol site while smaller sized jobs that would have been running on their presses can be carried out at Pepper."

The company also plans to integrate a customer service-based approach to TL Visuals and "align the company with its clients".

He added: "The focus will be on continued development complemented by the investment in new technology to create a strong customer service ethos. Strict cost control and lean manufacturing will ensure we deliver supreme value."

TL Visuals prints for a range of financial institutions including Lloyds TSB, C & G and Axa. It joins Pepper, which counts BBC Magazines and Connexions among its clients.

The acquisition will see TL Visuals, which employs 60 people, remain as a separate company as part of a growth strategy by Pepper Communications.