Our Private Equity team is pleased to have supported Asteria Group, one of Europe’s leading label and packaging solution providers, in acquiring Mercian Labels as its 41st production site in the group.
Founded in 1969 and based in Burntwood, Staffordshire, Mercian Labels is a well-established manufacturer of self-adhesive labels serving customers across the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors.
The acquisition will see Belgian-headquartered Asteria – which is backed by Waterland Private Equity – benefit from Mercian’s broad portfolio of self-adhesive labels, as well as its technical expertise in specialised tamper-evident and security label products. Underpinning the product portfolio is Mercian’s commitment to quality and sustainability – supporting Asteria’s ambition to become a sustainable frontrunner in the label and packaging industry by 2030.
Our Corporate team, led by Private Equity specialists David Mkhitarian (Partner), Olivia Jones (Legal Director) and Daniel McDonagh (Associate), acted as lead legal advisers to Asteria.
We are delighted to have supported Asteria and Waterland on this latest strategic acquisition, which further strengthens its presence in the UK market and its broader European platform. The business has ambitious aims not just in terms of scale but also sustainability, and we look forward to seeing how it continues to progress against both in the coming years.Olivia Jones
Legal Director at Hill Dickinson
Ives Declerck, CEO of Asteria Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Mercian team to Asteria. Mercian has earned an excellent reputation for quality, expertise and customer focus. Their capabilities complement our existing UK operations perfectly, while their strong position in food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets strengthens opportunities for future growth.”
Olivia Jones, Legal Director at Hill Dickinson, said: “We are delighted to have supported Asteria and Waterland on this latest strategic acquisition, which further strengthens its presence in the UK market and its broader European platform. The business has ambitious aims not just in terms of scale but also sustainability, and we look forward to seeing how it continues to progress against both in the coming years.”