Lesters, which has just recorded its best-ever year, is capitalising on demand for its full-service ‘eco-system’ offer by taking on the 101,000 sq ft space situated just off Watling Street, having invested over £2m in creating a new headquarters in Cannock.
The expansive HQ provides manufacturing, warehousing and office space, giving the company the opportunity to turn its current factory on Mount Road in Burntwood into a high-volume production centre of excellence. Ten new jobs will be created initially, with high-volume flatbed die-cutting, specialist manufacturing, and distribution set to be up and running by November and all office staff moved across by the new year.
“This is a clear signal of our intent to be at £30m annual revenues by 2030,” commented Billy Hutchinson, Managing Director, Lesters. “We’d outgrown our current footprint and, when the Hawkins Drive opportunity came up, it was an easy decision to expand and refocus our operations to make us more efficient and give our customers access to even greater capacity. Whilst our high-volume manufacturing will continue in Burntwood, the new site will be our administrative centre, warehousing and stores, not to mention home to lower volume and specialist packaging manufacture.”
He continued, “This will see us invest in a new strapping line, new waste extraction system, a new two-piece stitcher and a state-of-the-art conveyor system that will reduce the number of manual movements required.”
The additional space generated by the new Cannock site has also given the business the freedom to explore the purchase of a second TCY Jumbo Casemaker. When it installed the initial machine in 2021 it was an operational first in the UK and gave Lesters access to world class quality and efficiencies in large format and heavy-duty case work.
“This technology has played a key role in our consistent growth, so the opportunity to get a second TCY Jumbo Casemaker would be transformational in taking us to the next level,” added Hutchinson. “Talks with the equipment manufacturer are going well and we expect to have the second machine operational within 18 months.”
