In its new home of Park Lane’s Grosvenor House Hotel on Thursday 27th November, Board24 received a highly commended in the ‘Investment Project of the Year’ category at the UK Packaging Awards 2016 for its entry; ‘£11m Preston Plant Investment’.

Board24’s substantial investment project for a new BHS corrugator and purpose built extension was originally initiated to increase capacity offering improved lead times and service. The machinery installed included a BHS 400m/min volume corrugator and Ducker materials handling, allowing the business to produce market leading sheet board.

Now in its eleventh year, the UK Packaging Awards has become the leading awards event in the UK packaging industry. The awards recognise every area of the packaging supply chain, rewarding a range of areas including quality and consistency, business strategy, financial performance and personal achievement.

Acknowledged as the sector’s most prestigious awards, entries were judged by a panel of the most influential packaging buyers and specifiers in the business. The UK Packaging Awards has a category for all segments of the industry, from corrugated and flexible packaging to design and investment in equipment.

The judges commented: “A very good investment in machinery which reduces lead times and, presumably, also staff stress. The conservation of great crested newts is easily the best sub-plot to an investment story that we’ve heard!”

Richard McBride, Board24 Managing Director, commented; “We are thrilled to have been recognised for the plant expansion and corrugator investment at Preston. The commendation is a high accolade and recognises the efforts we have put into installing the new machinery and achieving saleable board from the first sheet produced off Corrugator 4. Whilst there were challenges during the initial groundwork, the team behind the installation and expansion ensured a seamless introduction of the new capacity, which has already proven to offer our customers an improved product and service.”