BoxWay Packaging Group sets its business for the long-term

In September 2021, and again in May 2022, BoxWay announced major investments at its Peterlee and Exeter plants and in its central finance, IT and design infrastructure in order to better serve its existing and potential customers.

Highlights of the plant based investments have been the investment last year at Exeter in a water-based ink, high quality digital printer and the significant upgrading of its speciality gluing capability. There is now an imminent installation of a new Eterna flatbed die cutter and a new Kongsberg C44 digital finishing table to allow for smaller production runs, higher efficiency and improved productivity. At Peterlee, a new 5 colour Weipong rotary die cutter is due in October 2022, which is on top of the already installed new speciality gluer and replacement Kongsberg sample cutting table to further increase the versatility of the product offering at the site.

Customer feedback to all the developments in BoxWay has been extremely positive and good sales growth has been experienced. The ongoing investments are designed to increase the capacity, and to widen the capability, of the BoxWay. An important part of the development of the Group is to ensure it has that the right assets and infrastructure for its continued growth with all customers in existing and targeted markets sectors. It is concluded that the Telford plant does not have the right cost structure, asset base or infrastructure to capitalise on the strengths of BoxWay or on the opportunities presented by the UK corrugated sheet plant market. BoxWay believes that, for the long term, the majority of its loyal and longstanding customers in Telford can be better served by the increased capacity and widened capability in the Peterlee and Exeter sites, which the recent and impending investments bring.

As a result, BoxWay has announced that it has commenced a 30 day consultation with 18 employees at the Telford plant, which could lead to a proposed closure of the plant at the end of September 2022. BoxWay will be working closely with all staff affected in supporting them through this difficult process. The plan is also to work with the customers of the Telford plant to transfer the majority of these loyal customers to either the Peterlee or Exeter plants. The loyalty of the Telford customers has been greatly appreciated and BoxWay is determined to settle those customers into one of the existing plants satisfactorily, or to introduce them to one of the strategic partners that BoxWay have been working with to accommodate their valued business.

BoxWay continues to be committed to operating a strong and viable national group of sheet plants. Investments, a competitive cost base and an on-going commitment to valued customers continue as the watchwords for the BoxWay as it delivers its strategic plans.

Andrew Woollard, chief executive of BoxWay, commented on the announcement: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the proposed closure of the Telford plant. However, we know we have always set our sights on the long-term and we will continue to build on the considerable progress the Group has made in the last twelve months since its incorporation, both in terms of building the right asset base and the appropriate customer and market positioning. The investments at our other plants are setting us up well for the long-term. We are very excited about the prospects for the Group over the months and years to come.”