Scotland-based packaging company Glenhaze has invested £300,000 in bespoke machinery to produce a new type of single-piece corrugated divider developed by the company.
Glenhaze specialises in manufacturing the internal dividers used in many types of packaging, including those used to transport Scotch whisky.
According to the company, the key innovation for its new single-piece divider was a brand new locking mechanism design, which allows the four divisions previously used to be replaced by the single one.
The patent pending divider is said to offer robust protection while also eliminating waste, cutting carbon emissions and combating the spiralling cost of raw materials.
Glenhaze worked with a US supplier to develop a machine to manufacture the new dividers, two of which have now been installed, boosting Glenhaze’s manufacturing capacity by 25 per cent.
Gary McCulloch, Glenhaze managing director, says: “Glenhaze has developed a product which has never been seen before in this industry, which is robust, sustainable and economical, and this will help us steal a march on the competition.
“This investment in new machinery has also slashed our lead times, which is important because our customers are now demanding deliveries much more quickly than ever before.”
McCulloch adds that his firm’s growth had been boosted by growing demand for Scotch whisky overseas, including in the emerging BRIC economies.
“The whisky market has grown by eight per cent a year for each of the last two years,” he says, “which has been fuelled by increased demand for premium whiskies that can cost £150 a bottle.”
The £300,000 investment by Glenhaze was supported by a HP facility from Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance.
