A failed display and point of sale printer has been revived by the copack business it has worked with for many years.
Derwent Packaging, which traded as Derwent Displays, called in administrators Ben Fallon and Louise Longley from BTG after hitting cashflow problems. The administration was inevitable, but an accelerated sales process was already underway to market the business to an outside investor or purchaser.
Mailway Packaging, a Bradford based copacker turned out to be that purchaser in a move that secures 33 jobs at the Denby, Derbyshire, site. It becomes part of the group and will trade as Mailway Displays.
Fallon says: “The business has developed an excellent reputation within the retail display and packaging sector over more than 30 years, ensuring the future of a highly skilled manufacturing operation and an important supplier to customers across the UK.”
Derwent Displays was set up in 1994 and has offered a design to fulfilment service for retailers across the UK. Customers have included supermarket Asda, print management businesses and design agencies with a product portfolio including fsdus ad other end of aisle and temporary instore displays,
It reckons to produce 1.2 million displays a year for more than 5,000 customers around the world. These can range from pop-ups and standees to instore theatre and into retail ready packaging. Copackers have been among the clients, though there will be questions about how this continues, if it can.
Mailway claims to be the “UK’s No1 independent contract packing partner” and is looking for growth opportunities. Mailway had acquired consultancy business Packaging Answers in 2024, and before that contract packer County Products in 2022.
The business had earlier suffered cash flow problems of its own following a change in banking policy in 2010. That had led to a management buyout to save the Mailway business the headed by current chairman Richard Bramma. At that point the business had sales of £12 million. In the year to March 2025 it achieved a revenue of £20.9 million with 418 staff.
