Paranova Print and Packaging has announced plans to invest £20m over the next five years to expand its fibre-based packaging operations, beginning with a £6m investment in a new purpose-built board facility in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire. The new site, due to open in November, will boost the group’s paperboard capacity and strengthen its fibre-based packaging offer.
Godmanchester will become Paranova’s fourth and largest fibre-based facility in the UK, strengthening its ability to support growing demand for paper-based packaging across the fresh produce, convenience and food-to-go sectors. Designed around automation, speed, sustainability and service flexibility, the Godmanchester operation will help customers meet shorter lead times, variable forecasts and the ongoing shift towards paperisation.
The 98,000 sq ft facility will include manufacturing space, a substantial on-site warehouse, and office and R&D functions, creating a fully integrated operation built for long-term growth. Around a third of the operational footprint will be dedicated to warehousing, giving Paranova the scale and flexibility to support seasonal demand and future expansion.
Purpose-built in collaboration with machine partner Koenig & Bauer, the site has been designed to maximise speed, workflow efficiency and automation across the shopfloor, supported by a new print and finishing machine suite.
At the centre of the investment is a next-generation Koenig & Bauer press designed to support shorter run lengths, faster turnaround, reduced stockholding and greater responsiveness to complex customer requirements. The facility will further strengthen Paranova’s capability across carton and sleeve products.
Following the initial £6m investment, the business plans to commit a further £14m to additional press and finishing equipment, as well as a state-of-the-art fully automated logistics system, helping to scale output, improve efficiency and support future growth at the site.
The new Godmanchester site complements Paranova’s dual flexo and litho flagship facility in Wisbech, adding further depth to the group’s manufacturing network and additional capacity in paperboard. Over the last five years, Paranova has delivered strong year-on-year growth in paperboard, with the new facility representing the next phase of that expansion.
The first machines are scheduled to arrive in early September, with the facility expected to become operational in early November. Once fully operational, the site is expected to support a headcount of 150 employees.
Jo Ormrod, CEO, Paranova Print and Packaging, said, “This investment marks another major milestone in Paranova’s growth and underlines our long-term commitment to the future of fibre-based packaging. Godmanchester has been purpose-built to help us meet the increasing pace and complexity our customers require, particularly across fresh produce, convenience and food-to-go. By investing in next-generation print and finishing technology, we are creating a manufacturing environment that supports shorter lead times, greater flexibility and faster speed to market. As our largest fibre-based facility to date, the new site gives us the scale to support further expansion while continuing to help customers transition towards paper-based packaging solutions.”
