£1m investment set to grow packaging firm

Nottingham-based packaging and printing giant The Wilkins Group has invested more than £1m in a new cutting and creasing machine that it says will increase capacity

The £36m-turnover firm, based in Colwick, has bought a BOBST EXPERTCUT PER 106 die-cutting machine, which cuts down on process waste and extra tooling costs. Wilkins says production will increase by up to 30%.

Justin Wilkins, sales and marketing director, said: “Most people might have thought it probably wouldn’t be the right time to invest, in terms of the current economic climate.

“But our view is, we don’t hold back and we have done the right thing as a business. We can’t let events outside of our control effect the strategic development of the company.

“We need the machine to increase capacity, to take us forward to the next phase of our development.

“We are looking to expand our UK operation by more than 10%, with new business confirmed, which will set us on a great course for our factory extension.”

The Wilkins’ Group counts supermarkets Asda, Tesco, Iceland, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s Marks and Spencer, Co-op, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Spar and Budgens among its clients.