Smiths news van

Smiths News has agreed a new long-term multimillion-pound contract with Seymour Distribution into the middle of the next decade.

The deal will see Seymour handle distribution in all Smiths’ territories, worth about £79m in annual revenue.

The contract will run from 2020 through to 2025.

The agreement means Smiths News has now renewed three of its largest newspaper and magazine contracts, accounting for 36% of its total sales revenue and 61% of its magazine revenues.

The other two are with News UK and Frontline.

“I am delighted to confirm this new agreement with Seymour, one of our largest magazine partners,” sais Jos Opdeweegh, chief executive of Smiths owner Connect Group.

“At our preliminary results, we identified the renewal of our distribution contracts as a key priority for 2019. This contract maintains the momentum, supporting our goal of delivering sustainable value from the Smiths News business.”