Part of Macfarlane Group PLC

Part of Macfarlane Group

GWP Group is proud to be part of Macfarlane Group PLC, having been acquired in March 2021.

Macfarlane Group is a leading UK protective packaging distributor and manufacturer, founded in 1949 and publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1973 (LSE: MACF). With more than 1,200 employees, a network of 30-plus sites, and a customer base of over 20,000, Macfarlane is a dominant force in the UK and European packaging industry.

Whilst the core benefit of GWP Group, as a smaller, agile specialist, remains, we can now offer your business the “best of both worlds”: the deep, engineering-led expertise and personalised service of a niche specialist combined with the financial stability, extensive resources, and broad logistical network of a major national corporation.

Benefits for your business

Being part of Macfarlane Group means GWP can operate as a “specialist at scale”, allowing us to:

Maintain our specialist, in-depth packaging expertise.
Continue to provide a design-led approach to your packaging challenges.
Provide the same personalised, tailored level of service as before.
Offer an extensive range of stock packaging lines alongside our custom solutions.
Be an integral part of a UK-wide logistical network.
Align ourselves with the stringent corporate governance standards expected of a PLC.
Provide increased financial stability and improved disaster recovery mitigation.

About Macfarlane Group

Macfarlane Group is the UK’s largest protective packaging distributor and manufacturer of specialist packaging, with a turnover of £300 million in 2023.

Established for 75 years and listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: MACF) since 1973, Macfarlane employ 1,000+ staff at over 40 sites across the UK and Europe.

Although predominantly known for its extensive operations as a packaging distributor, Macfarlane designs, manufactures and supplies high-performance packaging for various industries. This includes, but is not limited to, aerospace, automotive, electronics, medical, scientific, defence, offshore/subsea, export, eCommerce, and many more.

Macfarlane Group has developed a broad and established market presence, with a diverse customer base across the UK, Ireland, and Europe.

Macfarlane Group facts

A person working at a Macfarlane Packaging distribution centre

Macfarlane Group is an established packaging distributor and manufacturer, with:

Annual sales of circa £300 million.
Over 1,200 employees.
Nine specialist manufacturing sites comprising 240,000 sq ft combined.
More than 30 regional distribution sites throughout the UK.
20,000+ customers across a broad range of industries.
50,000+ deliveries per month.
1,000s of stock packaging lines.

Macfarlane Group news and articles:

GWP excited to become part of Macfarlane Group

Macfarlane unboxing – what it means for your packaging

GWP invests in first zero-emission delivery vehicle

Macfarlane Packaging Design & Manufacture

A person working at Macfarlane Packaging Design and Manufacture

The acquisition of GWP Group by Macfarlane Group positioned us as a key part of their specialist manufacturing division.

This division of Macfarlane designs and manufactures the broadest range of industrial packaging options available from a single supplier. This capability includes being able to create multi-material composite packs that provide a truly tailored and optimised level of protection and that are simply not available anywhere else.

The Macfarlane manufacturing division also comprises several distinct packaging companies, each providing a degree of specialism and expertise in specific markets, materials, and packaging solutions. A focus on design and problem solving, along with the close working relationships between manufacturing sites, means you can expect the same high level of service, knowledge, and expertise whichever Macfarlane company you work with.