Mercury Packaging, the flexible films specialist, has boosted its presence in the food packaging market after buying Macclesfield firm Certiforms for an undisclosed sum.

Mercury managing director Tony Stanger described Certiforms as "a natural fit" and said the acquisition would strengthen the firms' levels of service to its customers.

"It will also allow us to quickly penetrate the previously untapped food industry, with particular focus on the bakery and fresh produce sectors," he added.

The acquisition will increase Mercury's turnover by £1.2m – it currently has a turnover of £5m a year – as well as improve the firm's print capabilities.

Certiforms produces bags in a range of sizes, thicknesses and substrates such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), which can be printed in up to eight colours.

Extra features, such as resealable tapes and tear-off perforations, can also be added.

Mercury specialises in high clarity PP films, traditionally for the mailing, magazine publishing, retail and fulfilment sectors but has recently begun to move into food packaging. It also deals in security and track and trace technology.

In December, the Nottinghamshire-based firm announced the installation of a fully automatic Mamata Vega universal converting machine and added a £1.3m eight-colour Uteco Onyx flexographic gearless press in September.

Mercury Packaging was set up in 1999 and employs some 50 people at its 33,000sq ft facility in Kirby-in-Ashfield.