AR Packaging confident of unique and unrivalled UK offer

Following brand consolidation and a recent acquisition, AR Packaging, one of Europe’s leading packaging groups, is in an ideal position to provide UK food, healthcare and beauty brands with a unified source for world-class, fit-for-purpose packaging solutions.

Its UK operation consists of three sites producing flexible barrier materials, carton-based containers and printed folding cartons, manufactured by newly acquired Firstan, recently re-branded as AR Packaging Cambridge.

Ideally placed for expansion into selected market sectors, AR Packaging Rotherham currently specialises in containers for the ice cream sector and is one of the largest producers of squeezer lolly tubes. Equipped with specialised yoghurt container making equipment, as well as double-wall hot cups, the facility is also involved in the highly specialised production of 2-piece paperboard lids.

Its sister site, AR Packaging Highbridge, produces a wide range of flexible packaging solutions. The Somerset-based factory specialises in extruded, thin multilayer materials for both food and non-food applications. Certified to BRC AA and ISO 14001, AR Packaging Highbridge works closely with customers to ensure a high level of protection for products where material function plays a crucial element, either as a gas barrier, or to offer puncture or temperature resistance.

The addition of AR Packaging Cambridge further extends AR Packaging’s abilities to provide a fully integrated offering to UK customers. Becoming part of the group’s food packaging division, the business is one of the UK’s leading pharmaceutical, healthcare and cosmetics packaging manufacturers. With a focus on quality, customer service and operational efficiency, AR Packaging Cambridge operates from a streamlined, well-equipped production facility.

“With the trio of businesses, we have an excellent platform in the UK to provide brands in our target markets with a breadth of offer that we are confident is both unique and unrivalled,” said AR Packaging’s UK managing director, Neil Andrews. “Our single source packaging solutions can provide customers in the UK with an extensive product range and forward thinking innovation, particularly in developing cutting-edge sustainable packaging initiatives.”

Headquartered in Sweden and with sales of more than €900m (£800m), AR Packaging operates 30 factories across 13 countries largely in Europe, but with sizeable operations in Indonesia, Nigeria and Russia. It operates across five sectors: branded products, healthcare and beauty, food, flexibles and composite can systems, which include barrier protection.