Packaging specialist Lesters has invested £2.5 million into acquiring a new TCY N6 3 colour casemaker machine to help reduce lead times and increase capacity at its headquarters in Burntwood, Staffordshire.
Lesters saw its sales increase by 120 per cent to £16 million over the current financial year, and its new purchase will enable the business to build on this growth and make its operations even more sustainable.
The new machine is equipped with a rotary die cutter and Fossaluzza pre-feeder and auto palletiser, enabling the firm to run 250 boxes per minute as opposed to 120 on its predecessor. The further automation of previously manual processes also ensures that product quality is increased.
Lesters managing director, Billy Hutchinson, commented: “2021 was a transformational year for our business, with the new brand identity and our expansion reinforcing our decision to reposition the firm as the large packaging specialists.
“Covid-19 threw many challenges at us, but it also prompted an unprecedented surge in online shopping and people taking up cycling – two market opportunities that require bespoke packaging and contributed to us achieving our best-ever year.”
Hutchinson added: “We’ve taken on an additional fifteen staff taking us up to a headcount of 60. Alongside that we wanted to ensure the huge gains we made in technology were built on and this has seen us agree to buy a second TCY casemaker machine and introduce the widespread use of just-in-time manufacturing techniques commonly used in the automotive sector.
“Add all of this together and it means we are the very top of our industry when it comes to performance and supplying corrugated boxes, large format, heavy-duty cases and bespoke packaging to clients in the automotive, aerospace, bike manufacturing, mail order and third-party logistics space.”
As part of its wider ambitions, Lesters is looking to build on its certified CarbonNeutral® status by building its own eco-system where it can assume full control of the entire packaging production process, from print ink and design, through to distribution. The business is currently enacting its acquisition strategy to increase its market share and geographical reach.
Meanwhile, the introduction of the plastic packaging tax starting from April may prove to be a lucrative opportunity for Lesters to grow further, with many large firms having approached the business to guarantee access to corrugated cardboard solutions that are 100 per cent recyclable.
Hutchinson said: “Sustainability is going to be an increasingly powerful purchasing decision and we’re in an excellent position to design cardboard packaging solutions that cuts out the plastic altogether, whilst still delivering the same performance at competitive rates.
“Creativity is one of our big strengths. As the large packaging specialists, we can make boxes for all sorts of things. For instance, we’ve been asked by film companies to box cars, we’ve been contacted by football teams wanting to box players to surprise fans, and we often supply schools with anything from telephone boxes to pirate ships!”
Lesters managing director, Billy Hutchinson, recently appeared on The Leaders Council Podcast to discuss the latest challenges and developments within the business. You can watch the full interview below.
Photo by Roberto Sorin on Unsplash
