Wrapping up a truly successful 2017 for GWP Group

GWP Group are delighted to announce another year of strong performance in 2017, and would like to thank all of our customers, staff and suppliers in helping to achieve ambitious growth and sales.

With a continued focus on investment (across equipment, processes, services and employees), it has allowed GWP to welcome a number of new customers, whilst maintaining strong relationships with a large number of loyal clients.

However, the aim is to maintain this momentum into 2018, with a number of exciting plans already in place for the New Year.

GWP Group is pleased to announce another successful year of trading, with a continuing and strong increase in turnover and new business.

This saw turnover increase 8.9% in the 2016/17 financial year, following on from an 8.4% increase seen in the previous year.

This has also led to a rise in staff numbers at both Cricklade (Swindon) and Salisbury sites, with well over 100 staff now employed across both sites.

Ruth Cook, Managing Director of GWP Packaging said:

Naturally we are really pleased that our year-on-year performance continues to be strong. We are, however, also proud that we have been able to expand during a period of unprecedented economic uncertainty

During 2017, one of the key drivers of this significant growth is a focus on the Just in Time (JIT) delivery service.

This service effectively means that the GWP Packaging division in particular sees around 80% of its business conducted on a stock holding basis.

As such, GWP will manufacture and deliver specific volumes of packaging required by our customers, allowing them to maintain economies of scale whilst also reducing warehousing space / requirements.

This service is tailored to each individual account, allows for proactive management of seasonal fluctuations, and stock can be called off using a custom developed online ordering portal (again tailored to each user).

One business to benefit from this service is Andover-based Stannah Stairlifts.

Stannah have been working with GWP for 12 months and have been delighted with the service they have received.

Supplier Account Manager Rebecca Crozier explains:

At Stannah we operate from two sites and have daily deliveries of a range of different bespoke cardboard packaging items from GWP. They are able to adapt each delivery exactly to match what we need, and when we need it. What has been especially useful to us is that GWP can deliver in the exact pallet quantities that we specify.

She continues…

GWP are a responsive and pro-active company who manufacture all their own packaging products. Their design team and prototyping ability are excellent and their innovative approach to design was a significant factor in us awarding them the contract. GWP have shown us that we can rely on them and as a result we have been able to significantly reduce the amount of packaging stock we have to hold.

Another important reason for GWP’s impressive performance is the dedicated workforce.

Over a third of GWP’s people have worked for the company for more than five years with a significant number having more than 20 years’ service.

2017 has also seen GWP receive recognition for an ongoing commitment to innovation and design excellence, in being shortlisted for two Starpack Awards.

The overall winners of prestigious awards – widely regarded as the pre-eminent packaging accolade – will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony in London on February 22^nd 2018.

With GWP entering packs for Dyson and Haberdashery, the shortlisted designs are guaranteed at least a bronze award (although the hope is obviously they will achieve a first place, gold accolade).

For further information on the Starpack Awards, please click here.

2017 has also seen GWP get involved with a number of other projects and community initiatives.

Earlier in the year, GWP were delighted to sponsor local Moto3 Rookie Star Max Cook.

Max stormed to the title, being crowned 2017 Hel Performance British Motostar Moto3 Standard class champion with four races left in the season (winning more than a third of the races he competed in).

This also meant that he emerged from this year’s Red Bull Rookies Cup trials as one of the 10 riders who will take on the famous championship next season. He is the only British rider that made the cut.

If you would like further information on Max’s achievements, please click here, or visit his website at www.maxcook30.com

Besides this, GWP once again worked with the Swindon Foodbank.

Having a long partnership with the charity, GWP understood the challenges they faced, even before the increased workload caused by the introduction of Universal Credit.

In order to help with this increased demand, GWP Manufactured and supplied a number of handling boxes that the charity can use to improve the logistics of their warehouse, in turn boosting their productivity and efficiency.

Please click here if you are interested in further information.

With 2018 almost upon us, there are already plans in place for the New Year in order to continue growth whilst maintaining the highest levels of service, quality and customer support.

In order to facilitate this (and partly as a result of the successes in 2017), an additional 3000 sq. ft. of warehouse space at Chelworth Industrial Estate in Cricklade, Wiltshire has been secured.

Besides this, a further expansion of 10,000 sq. ft. of warehousing, new manufacturing technologies and computer systems are all planned for 2018.

Finally, from everyone here at GWP, we would like to thank all of our customers, suppliers, service providers, staff and friends for all of your help in achieving another successful year.

We look forward to working with you in 2018 and beyond.