Americk Packaging moves flexible division to Wigan
Part of the flexibles division of the Americk Packaging Group, ASP Flexibles is one of the fastest growing packaging suppliers to the fresh produce market in Europe.
Sustained growth prompted the move, with a 40% rise in business last year – turnover grew from £8.5m to £11.5m.
Capacity is expected to increase to 175 million linear metres a year from this spring.
The 25,000sqm facility is over three times the size of the existing location, providing much needed room for the expansion of their manufacturing and logistics operations and will also house a brand new state of the art laboratory.
Production capacity will also receive a boost with the installation of a new 1500mm wide F&K 8+1 colour press capable of high definition flexo print quality and automatic registration for fast change overs.
Steve Ellis, managing director, said: “This significant investment will provide flexibility and room for growth. Servicing the fresh produce market demands flexibility, the highest degree of customer service, technical innovation and a thorough understanding of the unique demands of this market. Our customers are continually striving to meet consumer demand whilst managing waste and our ability to provide a bespoke packaging solution, that maximises the performance of their product, often with very short lead times, is absolutely critical.”
Additionally, Americk Packaging is finalising plans for showcasing its flexible packaging at the Fruit Logistica Trade Show in Berlin.
Taking place 3-5 February, over 65,000 trade visitors from 135 countries are expected over 3 days, gathering fruit and vegetable producers, importers, wholesalers and retailers in addition to packaging specialists.
Americk will be promoting its NaturSense technology – an in-pack sensor, developed to monitor true environmental conditions, such as humidity, temperature and concentration of various gases from packing house to the shelf.
Data captured throughout the supply chain, enables analysis that can identify required improvements to increase the shelf-life and freshness of a product.
