GWP Group: A Bumper Year for Packaging Manufacturers

GWP Group, the sole UK manufacturers of Corstat®, the industry-standard for conductive packaging, has successfully managed to turn COVID-19 into a profitable affair. in fact, the company has grown by more than £1mn, according to its latest financial results. 

Across its five trading divisions, the company has recorded a turnover of £13.25mn for the financial period ending in October 2020, which is up from just under £12mn in 2019. 

The secret to growth? Well, GWP Group produces a very large range of e-commerce, transit, and protective packaging, alongside specialist items including anti-static and returnable containers ─ these are increasingly popular products, which is made obvious by the companies 40 per cent growth since 2015 when the annual turnover sat at just £9.5mn. 

Ruth Cook, managing director at GWP Group, said: "We are obviously delighted with the financial performance this year, particularly against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic and the unprecedented economic uncertainty.

"This is far and away the strongest performance we have recorded in our 30 years of trading, providing us with great confidence as we move towards 2021 and beyond."

The company, which celebrated its 30th birthday in August, continued trading throughout the national lockdown earlier this year, supplying a number of food producers, medical and pharmaceutical companies with packaging.

Ian Heskins, GWP Group business development director, added: "What has been really pleasing is that we have seen growth throughout all areas of our business. This includes our main corrugated packaging division just outside of Swindon, but our specialist foam and cases division in Salisbury as well. Sales of reusable packaging and handling products have performed better than expected too.

"And whilst our 2020 results continue the underlying trend we have been seeing for some time now, this years' figures have been achieved in incredibly difficult circumstances. It is a tribute to the hard work and commitment of all our staff, a number of which have been with us from when we began trading 30 years ago."

Founded in 1990, the GWP Group now operates from two manufacturing sites in Cricklade (near Swindon) and Salisbury, employing more than 100 staff.