UK-based Sandland Packaging have revealed a rebrand in 2022, to consolidate a record year of sales and achievements including leasing a second factory, investing in new equipment, successful training, recruitment and a consistent focus on sustainability. Specialising in bespoke box manufacturing has allowed the company to grow in challenging times and continue to widen its customer base.
The company delivered sales of £10.6m – a 17% increase over the prior year. It has also recruited apprentices and commercial trainees, invested in capital equipment with a spend of over £500,000 and installed an integrated management information system.
Martin Hickman, Managing Director confirms, “We’re already getting great feedback on the rebrand which is brilliant. After a fantastic year, we’re committed to building on our successful sales growth to deliver the best for our customers, suppliers and staff.”
Sandland Packaging is committed to sustainability through improving its impact on the environment. Along with maintaining FSC certification, the company also plants one tree for every five orders manufactured, has become a member of ‘Turning the Black Country Green’ to support its target of becoming Carbon Net Zero and is supporting a local breakfast club and after school care.
More Machinery
As part of the new ownership, significant investments have been made in converting equipment. Hickman explains, “We approached ID Machinery, with whom we have had long relationship, with a view to streamlining our die-cutting and converting department. After running several hand platens and manually stripping, we recognised that this certainly needed to be automated.”
As the European distributer for Century, ID supplied a CT1650 Plus model with lead edge feeder and full stripping. “The whole installation and handover process was smooth and within a short time, our operators are delivering excellent results,” says Hickman. “In addition to the automatic die-cutter, we needed to reduce the manual input on converting and again ID were able to offer a solution.”
John Brasier, Managing Director, ID Machinery, adds, “Under the Midas name – a range that embraces all types of converting equipment from printer slotters to stitching, gluing, slitting and slotting – we were able to offer a new fully automatic stitcher gluer featuring automatic feed, high speed stitching head, QUMA glue system and Transpak automatic strapper.”
Hickman adds, “We quickly realised what a hungry animal the MD Ultra stitcher gluer was, as a job that would normally take us four days on the semi automatic machines, now took only one morning.”
More to Come
Hickman continues, “During the discussions, it also became apparent that our old boxmaker was too slow and again, needed too much manual input so we opted for a second JG boxmaker, also from ID, having installed the first around a year ago.”
The JG range offers rapid set up from HMI screen with FEFCO codes pre-programmed, providing a simple operator interface for easy set up. Equipped with a lead edge feeder, servo driven cross cut knife and extended slotting the machine is covers the whole range of corrugated packaging from mini to Jumbo.
Hickman concludes, “Both of these JG boxmakers have revolutionised both our short run supply options and our jumbo heavy duty packaging that we known for.”
