St Ives strengthens marketing services by acquiring Pragma

Date Added: Tue 20 September 2011

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St Ives Group further strengthens its marketing services offer with acquisition of retail and consumer strategy company, Pragma.

Marketing services and print company, St Ives plc is pleased to announce the acquisition of Pragma Holdings Limited.

The acquisition of Pragma follows the acquisition of Response One announced last week and represents another important step in St Ives’s strategy to create a complementary range of marketing services, adding further value to its renowned print and display capabilities. Pragma will add another dimension to St Ives’ marketing services portfolio and will further complement its existing expertise in data marketing, direct marketing, field marketing, POS and print, provided by its existing specialist divisions.

Established in 1988, Pragma helps its clients to develop and implement retail and consumer strategy through the use of sophisticated market research and complex analysis. The business employs approximately 17 staff, is headquartered in Twickenham and has a strong client base including a number of major retailers, financial institutions and other consumer facing organisations. Pragma is expected to generate £3.0 million in revenue for the year ending 31 March 2012.

Following the acquisition, Pragma will operate as a subsidiary of St Ives and will continue to be managed by the existing management team from its current premises.

Patrick Martell, Chief Executive of St Ives said:

“Following the acquisition of Response One last week, Pragma is another excellent fit with our growing portfolio of marketing services offerings and will give us further opportunity to sell a wider range of higher value added services across a broader customer group. I am delighted to welcome Pragma to the St Ives Group.”

Patrick Woodall, Chief Executive of Pragma said:

“Becoming part of the St Ives Group marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in the development of our business. Our specialist expertise and knowledge of how to turn insights into profitable results combined with our rigorous analytical work fits perfectly St Ives existing capabilities. It gives us a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our competitive advantage and grow the business.”