FACILITIES MANAGMENET LATEST NEWS FROM LESTERS
LESTERS
Large packaging specialist opens second warehouse after 120 % sales boom
Lesters has announced it has invested £ 100,000 into the opening of a second warehouse to help it cope with a 120 % increase in orders .
The large packaging specialist , which has recently recruited 15 new staff , has fitted out the 25,000 sq ft facility near its headquarters in Burntwood with flexible racking options meaning it has enough space to store over 2000 pallets .
This latest move , coupled with its existing Lesters Logistics facilities , means the company can now offer 47,000 sq ft of storage space , 20,000 sq ft of floor storage space and 3,000 pallet spaces .
It will help the firm bring its storage of its stocked items in-house , reducing lead times and ensuring even better customer service for clients in the aerospace , automotive , pharma , renewables and online shopping sectors .
A new Warehouse Manager has already been appointed to oversee the additional operation .
“ We have a three-year expansion plan that will see the business move to £ 25m of annual sales and getting more of our stock under our control is an important step in making that happen ,” explained Billy Hutchinson , Managing Director of Lesters .
“ It was previously outsourced and that didn ’ t give us the flexibility we needed , especially with more customers coming online by the day .
“ Taking on Unit 12 , a stone ’ s throw from our current factory , gives us a lot more space for our stocked items , as we are increasing our ability to offer more ‘ stock and serve ’ options to clients .
“ Supply chain challenges are a big talking point for our customers . Recent events and uncertainty have created a need for many UK businesses to increase their security of supply for the critical packaging lines they require .
This will help us provide the security they are looking for .”
The last twelve months have been transformational for Lesters , the UK ’ s leading specialist in big box packaging for the aerospace , automotive , bike manufacturing , mail order and third-party logistics space .
Boosted by a significant surge in online shopping , the Burntwood-based company has seen sales soar to £ 16m and its workforce increase to 60 people .
The growth has been driven by investment in skills and , importantly , a £ 7m investment programme that has resulted in the installation of a new TCY Jumbo Casemaker ( first of its type to be operational in the UK ) and the impending arrival of a TCY N6 3 colour casemaker machine .
These acquisitions have helped the company reduce lead times and increase capacity from a combined 180 boxes per minute to over 360 - essential if it is going to meet planned expansion targets .
“ Add all of this together and it means we are the very top of our industry when it comes to performance and supplying corrugated boxes , large format , heavy-duty cases and bespoke packaging to clients in the automotive , aerospace , bike manufacturing , mail order and third-party logistics space ,” added Billy .
“ We are exploring a way of creating our own eco-system where we have full control over the whole of the packaging production process , from print ink and design , right through to distribution through Lesters Logistics in Nuneaton .
“ That was our first acquisition by the current management team , with plans in place to look at other complementary businesses that give us greater market share , access to new customers and wider geographic reach
Another big opportunity for Lesters has been the introduction of the plastic packaging tax on April 1st .
This means manufacturers or importers of plastic packaging could be hit by a £ 200 tax for every per metric tonne of plastic packaging , a great incentive for them to explore alternative forms of packaging , including cardboard boxes .
Billy concluded : “ We have an action plan in place to offer new and existing clients the opportunity to find alternative solutions and , importantly , become a more sustainable business in the process .”
For further information , please visit www . lesterspackaging . co . uk
94 PECM Issue 58