• Swindon & Wiltshire Appointments
• Wednesday October 27 2021
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Packaging firm GWP adds leadership roles in response to increased demand

Packaging manufacturer GWP has made a number of new leadership appointments at its Wiltshire production facilities, in response to growth in business.

The Cricklade- and Salisbury-based corrugated box manufacturer has created a number of specialist production teams, each focusing on specific areas of its business. This includes individual print, die cutting, bespoke packaging, and finishing teams.

The change has also seen the appointment of new team leaders, including a mixture of promotions for internal staff and the recruitment of new employees to the business.

The individual teams are now headed up by Adrian Price, Darryn Van Der Merwe, Simon Middleton, Carlton Agambar, Christophe Wright, Hipolito Peres and Ben Weller, all reporting directly to production manager, Phil Caswell.

Phil, who joined GWP in 2018, said: “Whilst are continuously identifying incremental improvements to our processes and procedures, we felt that one of the key opportunities for streamlining our operations was the formation of specialist teams and knowledge within our production.

“Implementing this has had a positive impact on both our efficiency and productivity, with the changes made immediately resulting in noticeable benefits to our business.”
He added:

“We have managed to increase the productivity of some manufacturing equipment since taking this approach, whilst maintaining or in some cases even improving the already exceptionally high quality packaging we produce.”

Besides the productivity gains and focus on quality, there have been benefits for staff members too. This has included new recruits from outside the business bringing in fresh ideas and experience, as well as rewarding existing employees with promotions.

Carlton Agambar – who has been with GWP since 2003 – has been promoted to one of the new team leader roles.

“The changes have made a huge difference. They’ve really sharpened everyone’s focus, and allowed us all to develop our in-depth knowledge of specific areas of the business. There has even been a positive impact on morale – everyone knows their role and how it is benefiting the business as a whole,” he said.

Ruth Cook, managing director at GWP Group, said: “We have had so many challenges to overcome during the past couple of years, particularly from materials shortages and price increases, at a time of exceptional growth and demand amongst our customer base. And this is before even considering the difficulties presented by the pandemic.

“Staff at all levels of the business have really stepped up, with the changes made in production and – in particular the appointment of team leaders – playing a crucial role. This has allowed us to not only overcome the challenges posed, but also drive real improvements in quality and efficiency.”

Having celebrated a landmark 30 years of trading at this time last year, GWP has seen demand and sales increase dramatically over the past 18 months. The company also became part of the Macfarlane Group in February 2021, creating further opportunities for growth for both businesses.

GWP Group currently employs around 100 members of staff across its two sites in Wiltshire, designing and manufacturing a wide range of bespoke packaging products.

The wider Macfarlane Group comprises more than 1,000 employees, with annual sales of c£225 million across the UK, Europe, and US.

Pictured: New GWP team leaders Loyston Rebelo, Adrian Price, Simon Middleton, Christophe Wright, Darryn Van Der Merwe, Carlton Agambar, Ben Weller, and Hipolito Peres with GWP Production Manager Phil Caswell