Warren Board opening new West Bromwich plant

Machinery from Italian group Reno De Medici's existing plant in Wednesbury has been bought by Leicestershire business Warren Board.

The company is taking on a 42,000 sq ft site at Hilltop Industrial Estate in West Bromwich and is in the process of de-commissioning and transferring the machinery from Reno De Medici's Careo site at Pacific Avenue, Parkway.

Warren Board managing director Kieran Ferguson said that the new operation would be known as Warren Converters with about half the site used for warehouse storage.

Reno de Medici has restructured its Wednesbury operation and is closing its sheeting plant at the end of this month from when only the Careo sales operation will remain there. Mr Ferguson said that Warren Converters was on course to start production from March 3 and the company was starting recruiting this week.

"We have previously only held sheet or pallet stock. The machinery we have bought will enable use to start converting rolls to sheet cartonboard. It will be the first time we have had a manufacturing operation. In the past we have sub-contracted this work out," he explained.

Mr Ferguson said that the cartonboard made at West Bromwich would be distributed across the UK through Warren's existing network. Warren has also entered into a merchant supply agreement for both reels and sheets of the group's market leading liner grade, Serviliner, with Reno De Medici UK.

"As an independent company with access to a far wider range of products than were available to RDM UK, we believe we will be able to introduce a service offering second to none in the industry thereby increasing opportunities for both customers and suppliers alike. This latest development represents the next stage of Warren's growth plans," said Mr Ferguson.

Mr Ferguson said he was not revealing the amount that Warren had paid for the machinery. "It marks a significant investment for the company and we are looking to expand at West Bromwich going forward," he added.

Warren, which also supplies graphical board, has been going for 37 years and has a team of 30 staff at its 112,000 sq ft warehousein Glenfield, near Leicester.

Significant investment has also been made there in technology that is capable of providing instant 'real time' stock level and stock availability information.

Its sales team , which serves carton converters, paper merchants, commercial and general printers throughout the UK and Europe, is also based at Glenfield.