MPS/Chesapeake Expands Services with IPS, Jet Acquisitions (April 9, 2014)
M&A activity is on the rise in the payments industry, and the latest deal is in the card manufacturing and fulfillment space. Multi Packaging Solutions/Chesapeake, a provider of card print and packaging services, has acquired Integrated Printing Solutions (IPS) and Jet Lithocolor. The pair of buys gives MPS a fully integrated supply chain for cards, carriers, multi-packs, and point-of-purchase displays for the credit, debit, gift, loyalty and insurance card markets, the company said. New capabilities brought by the acquisitions include laminated card production, imaging, affixing, direct mail and fulfillment. Those new capabilities will enable MPS to offer solutions for design, production and distribution of open- and closed-loop prepaid card programs.
Denver-headquartered IPS won a 2014 Judges’ Choice Paybefore Award for its involvement with the Balance Financial Prepaid MasterCard. Chicago-based Jet in early 2010 became the first company specializing in plastic card printing to receive certification as a Sustainable Green Printer from the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership