McLaren invests £3m in Stirling packaging facility

Premium drinks supplier McLaren Packaging has invested £3 million in the construction of a new facility in Stirling, Scotland for subsidiary Blue Box Design, the specialist designer and manufacturer of bespoke presentation boxes for the UK food and drink sectors.

The new 20,000 sq ft manufacturing, design and testing centre at Broadleys Business Park is scheduled for completion in April 2018.

The investment, which has received Regional Selective Assistance through Scottish Enterprise, will create an additional 18 jobs over a four-year period, comprising a combination of shop floor operators and office-based staff. The site and building have been ‘future-proofed’ to enable the subsequent extension into two additional modules.

Blue Box Design, which currently operates from 8,000 sq ft premises in Stirling, Scotland was acquired by McLaren Packaging in 2013 and has grown to employ 30 staff with annual revenues of £1.4m.

Duncan Robertson, managing director of Blue Box Design, says, “This new facility will greatly improve ‘speed to market’ for our customers by reducing the packaging development cycle time from concept to delivery, thereby delivering production efficiencies and cost savings.

“It will expand our production capacity significantly, enable us to retain highly skilled staff and create new skilled jobs in central Scotland for young people through the creation of a design and new product development centre of excellence for the luxury packaging sector.”

Donald McLaren, managing director, McLaren Packaging, adds, “The investment in Blue Box Design’s new-build unit demonstrates the importance of our Stirling operation and our long-term commitment to the future of luxury rigid boxes within our product portfolio. Our overall aim is to increase McLaren Packaging’s turnover to £20 million by 2020 and this facility will make a strong contribution to achieving that goal.”

Rhona Allison, director of company growth at Scottish Enterprise, comments, “McLaren Packaging is a good example of a company benefitting from the trend towards luxury and premium Scottish produce and it is fantastic to be able to support this ambitious company as it enters its next growth phase.

“This funding will help the company expand its footprint in Stirling and provide a welcome increase in jobs. We look forward to continuing to work with the team at McLaren Packaging as it pursues its ambitious growth plans.”

The investment in the new facility follows an investment last year by McLaren Packaging of £350,000 in Blue Box Design’s current site to increase production with the installation of a semi-automatic box-wrapping machine, digital cutting machines, construction of a mezzanine floor to increase storage and an LED lighting system.

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