Published - 23rd Mar 2022
To most, this picture looks like an empty unit, but to us, this facility which we have now acquired will shape the future of our company for years to come.
Just off the M5 in Wellington, Somerset. A stone’s throw from our Chelston factory, this 26,000 square foot production space and £2million investment will help us adapt to new markets and fill a large hole which we believe is out there in our region for cardboard supply. Smaller volume large format packaging with service features which we believe could be unrivalled.
For 42 years now, we have been producing corrugated boxes and packaging. Predominantly serving small case, small format industries such as medical, food, drink and cosmetics. In general, our niche has been packaging that can be carried by one person, mailed or be placed on a shelf mainly using single wall material. That’s not to say a significant part of our business already satisfies a double wall export market and runs into millions of pounds worth of revenue. However, with 3 new machines coming in this year, we are taking it one stage further.
We have referred to this investment as many things! (Project Big Box, Project Large Format, Project £10 million…) but to the lay person, this will be a brand-new factory that produces cardboard packaging which is generally larger than a one-person lift, carry or assemble and used for export, heavy, delicate, and/or high value items.
It might well be cardboard, but this is new territory for us, and our plan is to bring all of our cultural capability of full control from design to delivery, small to large runs, with potential for stock holding and a willingness to satisfy customer needs with a brand-new product range. Our machines are on their way, a large format printer slotter/rotary diecut, and a large format gluer and a stitcher.
Sales Director Steve Gabell said, “RH has always been a business that has invested, but it’s generally been a bolt on to what we already do i.e. better corrugators, faster diecutters and more impressive printing capability. In 2009, we introduced a machine which enabled us to run crash-lock boxes, but in the 18 years that I have been here, this is the only other event that we have invested in that is not just an enhancement, but a totally new capability. With our strategic placement, certainly in the South, we feel there is a need to support new and growing businesses by offering products not just more competitively, but more importantly with some of the other features such as fast turnarounds, stock holding and more tailored service agreements”.
With growth in terms of volume and financial figures, our strategic investment plan is currently two years ahead, having already installed a new case maker, a pallet line, and two diecutters in the last two years. The new facility takes our investment to £4million in two years. If you would like to know about the investment of our new Big Box factory or make an enquiry, please don’t hesitate to contact us. hello@rhfibreboard.co.uk
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