Trimco Group Grows Global Footprint with Nexgen Packaging Acquisition

Trimco Group, which manufacturers and supplies brand identity products like hangtags, is bolstering its global footprint and digital offerings through the acquisition of fellow label maker Nexgen Packaging.

With the acquisition, which closed Jan. 27, Trimco Group—owned by private equity firm Brookfield—has taken a 100 percent stake in Nexgen Packaging for an undisclosed price. The merger was a long time in the making. “We have been in discussions with Trimco Group for more than three years, so this has been something both sides have spent considerable time evaluating,” Jim Welch, CEO of Nexgen Packaging, told Sourcing Journal. “There are many elements that made this an attractive merger: a focus on design, sustainability, data management and supply chain transparency, to name a few.”

Following the acquisition, the Nexgen management team including Welch will continue to oversee the the Nexgen Packaging business.

Although they both specialize in brand identity, Nexgen and Trimco came into this partnership with differentiated product portfolios and geographic presences. Welch noted there was little overlap in the companies’ regional footprints, allowing the combined firm to reach more parts of the globe. The newly joined company will be present in 27 countries across Asia, North America, Central America, Europe and Africa.

This marks Trimco Group’s third acquisition in North America, following Canadian-based Wah Lung Labels and U.S.-based Zabin Group, both of which were acquired in 2023 after Trimco’s sale to Brookfield in 2022.

North America and the United States is a “strategic priority” for Trimco Group, noted Amy Wan, CEO of Trimco Group. “The region offers significant opportunities, being home to some of the world’s most iconic and innovative brands,” Wan told Sourcing Journal. “Nexgen’s deep understanding of the U.S. market, combined with their extensive customer network and a high performing sales team, are highly complementary to our existing offerings. This acquisition empowers us to expand our customer base in North America with enhanced solutions and local expertise.”

Leveraging Nexgen’s presence, the newly merged company will be able to extend Trimco’s supply chain monitoring platform ProductDNA to more U.S. brands. ProductDNA encompasses solutions for certification management, product traceability, consumer-side communications, product-as-a-service offerings like rental, and extended producer responsibility reporting related to packaging materials. Nexgen has its own data offering, with cloud-based software that gives customers visibility into their packaging and trim development and production process. Both companies also have RFID solutions, which simplify and improve the accuracy of inventory tracking.

These solutions can support digital product passports and provide more supply chain transparency. “We believe that the combination of these data-driven approaches to supply chain and responsible sourcing will result in the most comprehensive supply chain analytics platform in the industry,” said Wan.

Per Wan, the two companies also share a culture of sustainability that shapes product offerings as well as their operations. Within their product lines, this has translated into solutions like paper clothing hangers, reusable bags, plastic-free options and patches made of bio-based materials.

The culture fit also extends to how both firms operate, with similar focuses on building “customer-centric” solutions based on what they hear from clients. “We strongly believe that the combination of two world-class teams will create real value for the market and for customers who are looking to differentiate their results by leveraging suppliers like Trimco and Nexgen who are investing in the future of this industry,” said Wan.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}