GWP Packaging has installed new automated taping equipment at its production facility.
The equipment is predominantly used by the Wiltshire-based corrugated packaging manufacturer for producing taped boxes with integrated tear strips for supply to e-commerce retailers.
The move is part of an upgrade to existing machinery and is said to have already improved productivity ‘significantly’. GWP revealed that initial production runs have seen as many as 16 times more packs produced than the previous processes.
Sales manager David Mason said, “The new equipment makes us considerably more efficient when producing taped cartons for our e-commerce customers. The growth in this sector, particularly during the pandemic years, means that this equipment will create benefit for many of our customers.
“The initial results, in terms of both the output and the quality of the packs we are producing, are very encouraging.”
MD Ruth Cook added, “We have always felt it vital to continually invest in our business, and this proactive approach has remained since we became part of Macfarlane Group. The new kit ensures we maintain and improve efficiencies throughout our manufacturing operations and offers increased capacity to existing and potential customers.”
The purchase follows GWP’s recent £200,000 investment in solar panels, which are expected to produce 40% of its energy requirements in future. In total, the company has invested around £2 million in new equipment and infrastructure over the past decade.
The company, purchased by Macfarlane Group in 2021, employs around 100 people at its production sites, design studios and offices in Cricklade and Salisbury.
