Packaging firm invests to be the best

LEEDS Vacuum Formers (LVF), the West Yorkshire-based thermoformed packaging specialist, has set its sights on maintaining its growth by investing close to £100,000 in the expansion of its tool room and the purchase of a third Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling machine.

The investment follows a year in which LVF’s turnover grew by over 10% for the sixth consecutive year and comes hot on the heels of a £400,000 investment in a thermoforming line in 2012; and the purchase, just 12-months ago, of its second CNC miller at a cost of £50,000.

Nigel Coates, managing director of the family owned business, said: “We operate in an extremely competitive market and the only way to achieve and maintain the level of success we’ve enjoyed in recent years is by putting a considerable amount back into the business.

“This latest investment is of particular importance as it will allow us to employ another tool maker, and significantly improve both our production capacity and turnaround times on tooling.

“What this means in operational terms is that we’ll be able to develop new packaging designs without any reliance on external tooling suppliers, which is an invaluable asset in an industry where customers need to get new packaging to market within very tight timescales.”

The new CNC milling machine is due for delivery in early spring, while work on the expansion of the tooling room, which will see it grow by 30%, will be complete by the end of this month.

“Our long-term aim is to be the first choice thermoformed packaging manufacturer across all the sectors we operate in,” added Nigel.

“To achieve this we need the facilities to challenge, and better our competitors. As such our strategy is simple, invest to be the best.”

LVF’s thermoformed plastic packaging solutions are designed and manufactured for use in both food and non-food applications and can be found on the shelves of the UK’s leading supermarket chains.