Northern Enterprise Awards 2021

63 | Northern Enterprise Awards 2021 Specialists in injection moulded recyclable food packaging, predominantly for the food and beverage industry, Parkers Packaging has gone from strength-to-strength in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. We find out more from its Commercial Director Andrew Parker. Parkers Packaging is one of the fastest growing manufacturers of recyclable injection moulded and paper board packaging for the dairy and food industry in the UK. Offering a full added-value service to provide clients with bespoke printed packaging, the firm’s vison is to achieve a global presence in the manufacturing of sustainable premium ice cream and food packaging. As an independently owned business Parkers Packaging can react quickly to client’s needs, which was particularly useful when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Commercial Director, Andrew Parker, tells us more about how the company fared over the last 12 months. “The past year has seen some very challenging times with supply chains and fluctuating order patterns putting huge demands on organisations,” he begins. “Adapting our working practices to meet the unique needs of a diverse client base has meant we can ensure clients are stocked and ready to go. Our services and quality are reflected by maintaining and developing long standard relationships with clients and helping them grow.” Now, as the world begins to return to normal there has been a bounce back in demand in the UK food and hospitality. Economic recovery is also slowly taking place with the public spending more time in the UK than abroad. “There has been a growing realisation that recyclability and the circular economy is taking more of a presence that composability as the infrastructure to support this isn’t yet evolved enough,” says Andrew, speaking of the trends he has noticed within the packaging industry post- lockdown. “All our packaging is fully and widely recyclable and we recycle 100% of our production waste. We’ve also seen an increase in demand for our online business where people can quickly purchase small quantities of packaging to fuel the start-up and events revolution.” Best Sustainable Food Packaging Business 2021 Being based in the north west brings many benefits to Parkers Packaging. The transport links for road, rail, and air are excellent and, where the firm is located, Knowsley is close to the two major cities of Liverpool and Manchester. This means that clients and suppliers have easy access to Parkers Packaging. The region offers a wide range of skills from a diverse and vibrant community. With an internal culture of trust and inclusion at Parkers Packaging, Andrew believes that when recruiting, the personality of an individual and their attitude to succeed far outweighs anything that may be written on a piece of paper. “Colleagues are responsible for ensuring the highest standards are kept throughout the business in a productive manner whilst respecting the individuality of team members,” he explains. “Getting the right fit for the team is paramount.” For yet another year, Parkers Packaging has been awarded the highest ‘AA’ award for BRC (British Retail Consortium) and hold the PRS Green Label award which means all pallets it uses are recycled and it is a partner in a pallet pooling system. Also, the firm recently clinched a second accolade with the title of Best Sustainable Food Packaging Business 2021 in the SME News Northern Enterprise Awards and Andrew is keen to share with us the company’s plans for the next year and beyond. “The next 12 months will see Parkers purchase another production factory to increase capacity,” he enthuses. “The development of the paper cup side of the business with the addition of new plant machinery and ongoing research into new more sustainable materials that can be used.” Finally, Andrew tells us, “We aspire to be Carbon Net Zero before 2030 and continue our sustainable journey by fully electrifying our fleet within the next six months and supporting carbon offsetting programmes by offsetting 10 tonnes of carbon per month by way of local planting of trees.” Through determination and hardworking attitude their future plans are highly achievable. Parkers Packaging is making a huge difference in the industry and will continue doing so with its sustainable goals. Contact: Andrew Parker Company: Parkers Packaging Ltd Web Address: www.parkerspackaging.com Oct21061