History

GWP Group has a long and successful history, with over 35 years of experience and strong trading in the packaging industry behind us.

Whilst a lot has changed over the years, many of the founders, employees and customers from the early days in the 1990s remain a part of the business today.

As a result, GWP can offer the wealth of packaging knowledge, experience and know-how obtained over this time to benefit you and all our customers. It also evidences a strong, stable and well invested business that is perfectly placed to help both large and small businesses with any packaging challenges they may face.

In 1990, the same year that Tim Berners-Lee published the very first page on the new-fangled internet, David Pedley and Charles Eatwell, along with Ruth Cook, Ian Heskins, and Ron Williams, formed The Great Western Packaging Company (hence the GWP in GWP Group).

Initially, the business was solely a cardboard packaging manufacturer, based in Cheney Manor, Swindon. Starting with just over 5,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space and a handful of employees, the business quickly established itself in the local economy.

Early significant customers included Raychem, Motorola and Book Club associates, the latter of which saw GWP create their first bespoke packaging manufacturing equipment.

A new logistics site was opened in 1995, with another site added in Newbury in 1998 (although this eventually closed in 2006), as the business continued to grow.

By 2003, the company had relocated to a state-of-the-art 64,000 sq. ft. production facility in Cricklade, Wiltshire (as of 2020, this now stands at approximately 85,000 sq. ft). The new premises included on-site offices for the sales, accounts, design and management teams. The team of employees also grew steadily to over 100 full-time members of staff.

Despite this, the business was looking at ways to continue its growth, diversify its range of packaging products and services, whilst also staying ahead of emerging trends in the packaging industry.

This strategy led the business to complete several key acquisitions as the company began seeking partnerships and opportunities to expand in specific areas of the packaging market.

Corstat Containers, a specialist in ESD and Anti-Static packaging, was acquired in 2003.

Originally operating from a factory in Wootton Bassett, the business was – and remains – the UK’s largest manufacturer of conductive packaging (with approximately 85% market share). Ian Cook became Managing Director and oversaw the company moving into GWP’s Cricklade production facility in 2011.

The business was rebranded to GWP Conductive in 2009, although the Corstat name was retained for the range of conductive corrugated packaging that forms the majority of the company’s stock range. Corstat coating, and the products manufactured using it, remain widely regarded as the leading solution within the ESD packaging market.

In 2006, Eastman Packaging also became a part of the GWP Group.

Originally formed in 1988 by David Brown and Graham Aymes, the company – named after Eastman Close in Downton, where David first had the idea for a packaging business – initially started as a precision engineering business. However, it soon began specialising in the engineering of foam inserts and the manufacture of flight cases, primarily for the Defence industry.

After outgrowing its premises in Highpost, Salisbury, the company moved to its current location at Old Sarum in 1997.

The company, now known as GWP Protective, continues to go from strength to strength, supplying high performance packaging solutions to some of the UK’s largest and most well known companies.

To address the disparate nature of the newly acquired companies, the business restructured and rebranded in 2009, becoming GWP Group. This process involved a significant change in the direction of the company’s brand strategy, with four new divisions initially being created.

The Great Western Packaging Company became GWP Packaging, Eastman Packaging became GWP Protective, and Corstat became GWP Conductive. The business also separated the specialist coatings function of the Great Western Packaging Company to create the fourth division – GWP Coatings.

Towards the end of 2013, a fifth division, GWP Correx®, was added. Reflecting the increase in Correx® conversion by GWP Packaging, a dedicated division was created with a new focus on sales, marketing and production resources for this growing sector.

Presenter Dave Harvey visited GWP Groups’ production facility at Chelworth Park, Cricklade, for a BBC Points West feature on the Chancellor’s 2013 Budget statement.

This video was first broadcast on BBC Points West at 6.30 pm on 5 December 2013, and was subsequently available on BBC iPlayer.

Besides this, the company also featured on a broadcast shown live during the BBC 2 programme “Autumn Statement 2013” with Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn.

This video was first broadcast on the BBC 2 “Autumn Statement 2013” programme at 10.45 am on 5 December 2013, and was subsequently available on BBC iPlayer.

There have been several other notable highlights over the years. For example, His Royal Highness Prince Edward, The Duke of Kent, visited GWP’s Cricklade site in 2011, having a tour of the facility and meeting members of staff.

For the company’s 25th anniversary, an art exhibition was commissioned, with all pieces created using only cardboard. The business also held a party for employees, friends and family.

The company has won many accolades, most notably a host of Starpack Awards in 2018, whilst there have also been significant investments in manufacturing equipment, infrastructure and sustainability (including the installation of solar panels in 2024.

GWP have also supported numerous charities, including Swindon Foodbank, The Marmalade Trust, and Gloucester Deaf Association.

On Friday, 26 February 2021, Macfarlane Group UK Ltd acquired GWP Group in a deal worth around £15million. The deal also saw founder David Pedley retire from the business.

Macfarlane Packaging is one of the largest manufacturers and the leading distributor of protective packaging in the UK and Ireland. Founded by Lord Macfarlane in 1949, Macfarlane Group employs more than 850 people at 31 sites, which, besides the UK, include operations in Ireland and Europe.The business’s more than 70 years of experience means it now serves over 17,000 businesses nationwide.

As well as aligning with Macfarlane’s strategy of building its protective packaging business through a combination of organic and acquisitive growth, GWP Group becoming part of Macfarlane Group creates several exciting opportunities for further growth.

As a business, GWP remain acutely aware that a successful history does not guarantee a successful future. So whilst the business has gathered an unrivalled amount of experience, knowledge and expertise over the 30-plus years of trading, there is an awareness that markets and customers’ needs are forever evolving.

This is why GWP Group, working closely with both Macfarlane Packaging and many of the other specialist packaging businesses within the Group, maintains a commitment to investing in new technologies, production techniques, software, systems and the ongoing development of staff at every level.

By working closely with companies like yours and constantly striving to improve every aspect of our business, we are confident that the future holds even greater success than the past.