Toilet and kitchen paper manufacturer on a roll after investing £1m in new machinery

Oldham-based eco-friendly toilet roll manufacturer, Nova Tissue, has invested £1m in new machinery to drive growth and bolster sustainability ambitions.

The company, which produces and packages 68 million rolls of toilet and kitchen paper each year, manufactures products on behalf of wholesalers and major retailers across the country, as well as 12 foodbanks in the local area.

The family business has now used a £1m asset finance package from Lloyds to invest in new advanced machinery, which is already enhancing the way the firm operates.

The new kit is boosting production capacity by 25% and minimising the amount of plastic packaging the business uses for its products.

Another production process now uses water in place of glue, improving the quality of the tissue while reducing costs.

Following this latest investment, the business is deepening its commercial relationship with a major UK supermarket thanks to its increased capacity. Alongside this, it has taken on five new staff as it targets a £2m increase in turnover for the year ahead.

Nova Tissue’s investment reaffirms its commitment to sustainability. Its ‘Soft on Nature’ eco-friendly roll is made from 100% recycled materials, reducing the amount of virgin paper used by 150 tonnes each year – the equivalent to saving 3,850 trees.

Meanwhile, last year the business also renewed its partnership with environmental charity Tree Aid, which it supports with sustainable sourcing, eco-friendly manufacturing, and community projects.

Managing director, Khurram Iqbal, said: “Since my father set up this business nearly 40 years ago, we’ve worked to build a strong reputation for our quality and innovation.

Khurram Iqbal

“This investment marks our latest step forward with this, and I’m grateful to Ria and the team at Lloyds for their support.

“Our new machinery hasn’t only already improved our production capacity and quality of our products, but it’s also allowed us to make real progress in our efforts to operate more sustainably.

“This is something we pride ourselves on as a business, as we look to help others reduce their environmental impact while minimising our own.”

Ria Kelsall, relationship director at Lloyds, said: “Nova Tissue is demonstrating the sort of sustainable innovation that businesses can take inspiration from as we look to make the transition to net zero.

“And this commitment to having a positive environmental impact is also crucial to its growth.”

She added: “Being more sustainable is becoming increasingly important for people and businesses, and Nova Tissue is helping to meet this increased demand for products that minimise their environmental impact while remaining of high quality.

“Supporting the business with this has been a real privilege, and I look forward to seeing it continue to reap the rewards from this state-of-the-art machinery.”