Product category:
Contract packing
News Release from: Assembly and Packaging Services
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 05 September 2006
Body Shop and Coca Cola give success
The Body Shop and Coca Cola spark early success for assembly and packaging services company MD
Blyth-based packaging specialist aps (Assembly and Packaging Services) - which is one of the country's largest contract packing organisations - has undergone a massive restructure since appointing Chris Pygall, former Group MD of Dataform, in January this year Six months on, the firm now has two new customers; brand giants Coca Cola and The Body Shop to add to its solid portfolio of blue chip clients
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 27 Sep 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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"We are delighted with these new contracts, the success we are achieving in bringing in new customers is testimony to the hard work of everyone in the company over the last six months," said Mr Pygall.
Mr Pygall believes the success is largely down to the management restructure - which includes existing key staff as well as five new members - and an inspiring culture change within the firm.
"There are some extremely experienced people working in this company who have worked successfully in the business for many years.
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We have built upon those skills with a new production manager, a new warehouse manager, two new internal sales account managers and we have introduced a productivity manager - with the focus on streamlining, automation and efficiencies.
"There has also been a cultural change, which has retained and embraced all existing competencies but has driven in new values and disciplines, encouraging much more communication between directors, management and operatives to enlighten and empower the workforce.
"This has created a high level of motivation within the team and our customers can see the difference, we've had personal comments from PandG, Unilever and L'Oreal, about improvements in things like the new offices, team communication, a retail-ready promotion area and the future vision generally." Mr Pygall, who in eight years at Dataform, moved from operations manager to operations director, managing director then group managing director.
He was a key part of the team who took the company from a GBP12m turnover to a GBP40m multi-site operation through organic and acquisitive growth - buying four businesses in five years.
He now intends - along with continued inward investment, diversity of the services, structures, systems and hard work - to grow the infrastructure in place at aps to support a GBP15m operation, ensuring the company takes its position at the forefront of the UK packaging industry.
aps revolves around contract packaging, gift sets, sampling and mailing in medium-to-high volume, time critical contracts which demand maximum security and total flexibility.
The firm, which has a 20-year history and is one of Blyth's biggest labour providers, was formed by director Judith Leighton and her late business partner Margaret Watson in 1984.
"I am very excited about the future for aps, Chris' dynamism and astute focus on growth is a fantastic influence on the business and is already paying off," said Ms Leighton.
I have no doubt this will ensure that aps can continue to compete and win business, grow organically and - through effective acquisition - build on this success.".
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