North East-based packaging company Re Pet is growing 40% year-on-year after demand for its food grade PET film rocketed.
The organisation, which employs 20 people at its Houghton-le-Spring factory, manufactures recyclable plastic sheeting for the packaging sector, which is usually used in the production of food cartons for supermarkets.
John Forrest, managing director, said: “There is a need for supermarkets to hit new sustainable targets and they are beginning to put pressure on the packaging companies that supply them. This is a major opportunity for us. Currently the UK imports two-thirds of the PET material used and we intend to change that by offering great products competitively.”
The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) helped Re Pet adapt its systems so that it meets the standards set by the British Retail Consortium.
After securing the accreditation annual sales grew to the £5m mark.
Commenting on the help received from MAS, Sarah Lea, health and safety manager, said: “The British Retail Consortium standard is essential for our business. We needed help in fine-tuning some of our systems, in order to meet the exacting standards expected. This would have taken a lot longer without MAS’ input and the funding we received in bringing in a specialist to oversee the process.”
Re Pet has invested £2.7 million on new extrusion equipment and a dedicated training programme for all staff. Future plans include a further £2.4 million acquisition of new machinery and the recruitment of a senior manufacturing manager.
The company’s main turnover is currently focused around the domestic market, with a small amount going to Iceland. However, future plans include a greater export push.
