Curtis Packaging this week begins a move from Wimbledon to new premises in Merstham, near Redhill. It moves from multiple units, where printing and finishing are on different sides of a yard to a single unit where the company has room to expand.
At the same time the company is taking delivery of a five-colour plus coater Speedmaster XL75 to join the six-colour CX102 it already has. “The factory we operate in at the moment is very restricted and there is no room to expand,” says managing director James Williams. “We have grown to a certain point and this has become inefficient and end up having to put work out.
“With everything under one roof, we will no longer have to work in this way.”
Finding a suitable site was not easy and it has been an investment of £300,000 to prepare the building with adequate services and refurbishing offices and bring everything up to standard he explains.
The move will begin this coming weekend with office staff moving across and then most of the equipment to follow a week later. The B1 press will be left in situ until December. The plan is then to move it over the new year period.
The 1,800m2 factory will have space to fit in another carton gluer and a second platen. The layout allows for this. These will inevitably follow as the company is able to take on more work in the new location and thanks to the extra press.
Curtis has expanded in recent years thanks to a focus on environmental production and on value added finishing techniques including foiling, varnishes and coating and embossing effects. It has helped the company build a reputation for healthcare and beauty product packaging.
The company has 55 staff and 54 have indicated that they will stay with the business following the move.
Curtis packaging will have room to expand with a move to new premises in Merstham, which begins this week. It will retain almost all 55 staff in the move, coinciding with installation of a Speedmaster XL75-5.
