Print Solutions
West Midlands based paper and board converter Middleton Paper has announced a major investment in hygiene and safety improvements and staffing levels as a result of major growth in the packaging sector in particular.
Family owned Middleton Paper was established almost 60 years ago and today, with its paper merchant division Vision Paper and Board, is one of the largest merchants and converters in the UK.
With three Pasaban sheeters, a Valmet sheeter, rewinding, guillotine and ream wrapping services, Middleton Paper are able to provide a wide ranging to their customers.
In response to unprecedented demand for their services, the company is investing over £100,000 in improvements to its site and increasing the number of factory operatives.
Jason Middleton, managing director of Middleton Paper, said: ‘We have seen a lot of changes in customer requirements in recent years, especially in the packaging sector where demand is increasing rapidly. Our sheeting machines are perfectly suited to this type of product and we have been very successful as a result.’
The factory has increased the number of shifts to cope with the demand and employed a further 11 people to ensure maximum capacity is achieved.
As a result of the move towards more packaging products, Middleton Paper have also invested heavily in hygiene and safety improvements.
‘A large proportion of packaging board is destined for the food industry, and hygiene and safety are of major importance,’ Jason explained. ‘We need to be sure that the product leaving our premises is clean and free of contaminants and potential allergens, so we have invested in improvements in our factory and with our procedures to ensure these demands are met.’
All machine operators and factory workers have been trained in hygiene and safety and new practices have been implemented throughout the company, with senior managers fully conversant with HACCP systems. Shatterproof light fittings have been installed throughout the factory, ingress and egress areas have new protection to ensure pests and dirt cannot enter the site and an extensive CCTV system helps to monitor all areas of the factory.
‘There is a lot to do, and a lot of procedures to put in place,’ said Jason, ‘but we know that this is important to our customers today, and in the future, so for us this investment is essential to maintain Middleton Paper as the leading paper and board converter.’
