BLACKBURN-based mda has signed a multi-million pound contract with Heineken, the world's third largest brewer, to handle their entire point of sale and marketing material across the UK.

The 2012 Lancashire Telegraph business of the year winner said the deal was one of the biggest contracts in its 27-year history.

Malcolm Hall, UK operations manager for Heineken, said: “Following a stringent review process, Heineken met with members of the team, reviewed their facilities and overall capabilities and, as a result, elected to move our POS fulfilment requirements wholly to mda.

“We were particularly impressed with their commitment to innovations and online system technologies, while their experience and understanding of the drinks industry we operate in was unrivalled.

“As a result of moving our requirements to mda, Heineken will be receiving significant customer service support, excellent service levels and a great deal of added value through best practice and new initiatives that we could not have achieved anywhere else.”

Dale Stokes, managing director of mda, said he was delighted with this award.

He said: “Heineken as both an organisation and a collection of high profile brands are a business that we have admired for many years and hoped one day to secure working with.

“Team mda are absolutely thrilled and honoured to be awarded this fantastic contract and we genuinely cannot wait to get started in supporting their marketing and activation activities.

“The award of this contract represents the success of our business over the last few years in providing a comprehensive, innovative and high quality service to some of Britain’s biggest brands — so landing such a big name as Heineken further confirms this.”

Brands include Heineken, Foster’s, Strongbow, Desperados, Bulmers, John Smith’s, Amstel, Newcastle Brown Ale, Tiger and Sol.

Mda, based on Walker Park, distributes more than 1million orders per year and had a turnover of £33million last year.