GWPs’ Ruth Cook interviewed in Packaging News magazine feature

Ruth Cook, Managing director of GWP Packaging, featured in a “Q&A” article focusing on the challenges faced by companies in the corrugated packaging sector.

Covering everything from seeing potential with reusable packs and an increasing trend for online shopping, the environmental agenda, exports not picking up through to the struggle to find skilled staff, Packaging News profiled a number of corrugated specialists for their views.

Learn more about Ruth’s views on the industry by continuing this post.

Originally called the Great Western Packaging Company, GWP Group operates from two Wiltshire sites with a turnover of £10m from clients across sectors including defence, aerospace, automotive and food and drink. We spoke to managing director Ruth Cook about the company.

We’ve enjoyed 20% growth in sales – a record year – thanks to focusing on niche markets in the manufacturing sector. We’ve maintained existing clients and won new business through working on cost-reduction initiatives.

The main one is uncertainty in the economy: manufacturing and exports show few signs of picking up, leading us to question where the overall recovery will come from. Meanwhile we struggle to recruit skilled staff.

There are always new, cheaper, lightweight materials, which are continually helping to shape trends and change ways of thinking from clients and manufacturers.

If only the corrugated sector would market itself better there could be huge opportunities to win market share from plastic products, especially by promoting the recyclability of corrugated packaging.

New materials, better design and smarter machinery are enabling companies to design out cost from their packaging.

We cover such a wide spread of sectors but have seen small web companies and specialist food markets come to the fore. All customers are reducing their stockholding and we can help with supply logistics.

Our biggest challenge was packing a parabolic telescope to be shipped around the world.

General regulation is cumbersome and rules on packaging waste amount to a tax on our industry. Business rates are also a huge financial burden to GWP Packaging.

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