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Orbital Group gets its own 'Big Mac'!

Orbital Marketing Services Group Limited has announced that it has acquired Anne MacDonald Associates Limited which trades as MacDonald Mailing for an undisclosed sum.

MacDonald Mailing founded in 1973, is based in Sittingbourne, Kent and is the leading supplier of specialist polythene wrapping services to the publishing and print industries, employing 55 permanent staff and up to 30 casual employees. MacDonald's customers include Sky Television (they are one of the only four mailing houses who mail Sky Magazine), Estee Lauder, AA Magazine, Salvation Army and many top Kent businesses.

Orbital Marketing Services Group already owns Aspect Marketing Services, BP Travel Marketing Services, JEM Education Marketing Services, Take One Media and PMD Healthcare Marketing Services.

As a result of the acquisition, MacDonald Mailing clients will benefit from access to the wide range of call centre, response handling, database management and fulfilment services currently provided by Orbital at its sites in Ashford (Kent) and Rushden (Northamptonshire).

Paul Markland, Orbital's managing director, said: "We're delighted to acquire MacDonald Mailing. It demonstrates our commitment to the direct mail sector and to improving and enhancing the range of services that we offer to this market. We have great plans for the MacDonald Mailing business going forward as part of the expanding group and we are continuing to look at further opportunities to enhance and develop in our key market sectors".

Phillip Moore, head of corporate development at Orbital, who managed the acquisition and who will be working closely with MacDonald's management team in the months to come, said: "We forecast that there would be some rationalisation within the marketing services sector in 2003 and we are delighted that we have been at the forefront of this. MacDonald Mailing is a business that we have long admired and we are pleased that it is now part of our Group. We will work hard in the months to come to ensure that the service that clients of MacDonald have come to expect is enhanced as well as improved and that the transitional period and integration of this business is managed smoothly."

Julian Winding, nephew of the late Anne MacDonald, who has sold the business to Orbital, said: "This is a major milestone for the company that my aunt founded so many years ago. I am selling because I felt that the on-going development of MacDonald Mailing would be best served by being part of a progressive and client led company such as Orbital. I am thrilled that I have passed the business into the safe hands of people who share our commitment to customer service, quality, value, professionalism and integrity."

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