Santa Rosa cork manufacturer buys Washington winery supplier

Santa Rosa-based cork manufacturer M.A. Silva USA has purchased the packaging business of Vintners Global Resource.

M.A. Silva USA said the acquisition of Vintners Global Resource (VGR), based in Yakima, Wash., would help expand its outreach in the growing Pacific Northwest wine industry. VGR is a supplier of wine bottles, closures and packaging.

The company said it would also complement its longtime partnership with Oak Tradition, located in Walla Walla, Wash., which sells oak barrels and other supplies to local wineries.

As part of the deal, Andy Brassington, VGR’s chief executive officer and founder, and Teresa Lawrenson, its account manager, will join M.A. Silva USA.

“This merge is exactly what we wanted for continued growth. The vast resources of M.A. Silva provide us with more time and excellent products to support our Northwest friends and clients,” Brassington said in a statement.

The company is part of the M.A. Silva Group, headquartered in Portugal, and was the first U.S. supplier to offer high-resolution laser printing of variable information to each single cork stopper. Its plant operates entirely on solar power.