It is 15 months since Leeds-based Fenton Packaging Solutions announced its Management Buy Out. During the previous year, the company had relocated to a 65,000 sq.ft. site at Kinetic 45 in Newmarket Lane and rebranded, investing over £1 million to streamline its operations and put a new fleet on the road. Investment has continued, in both systems, software and people, with the new round of recruitment which began over a year ago already paying dividends.
“We continue to offer a consultative approach and, through innovation, help to steer our customers towards using the most sustainable packaging options for their businesses,” says managing partner of sales development, Chris Warren.
“Our recent investments in systems has improved the customer experience, as well as delivering major gains in carbon footprint reduction for our business and our clients."
One of the company’s newest recruits is North East sales manager Lewis Branton, who joined the business straight from university in July 2023. We caught up with Lewis to discover more.
“I joined the firm a little more than a year ago. Having studied Business Management at university, it seemed an unmissable opportunity to join such a rapidly growing company,” says Lewis.
“I live in Leeds and being office-based makes my job easier as all the information I need, and the relevant team members I need to talk to are on the spot.
“I was surprised at how forward looking the business is and right from the start I have had tremendous guidance and training from HR and all the people and departments I interact with on a daily basis. I’m part of a new young team and we complement perfectly the long-term experience of the managers and some of the team members who have been with the business for over 20 years.
“While many companies use traditional tinplate and plastic packaging solutions, there’s a clear move to considering more sustainable options such as bag-in-box. Companies are looking to reduce their use of plastic and to reduce waste, so subjects such as sustainability, recycling and the plastic packaging tax are increasingly part of my day-to-day conversations with customers old and new.
“It’s clear that companies know that they can always get what they need from Fentons, but also realise that we can help them to change and improve their operations. I can see bag-in-box growing rapidly in the next five years or so, as we assist customers in the transition process.
“One thing I’ve noticed particularly is that customers absolutely love the quality and reliability of our service and frequently comment that it is better than any of our competitors. They really appreciate our delivery scheduling and communication through our route optimisation system, alongside our ability to solve problems quickly and with minimum fuss and as a business we work hard to ensure we can offer customers a competitive package. Since joining Fentons, my role has been to meet and engage with our existing customers, whilst also looking to develop new business opportunities in the North East area and I’m pleased to say that we’ve gained a lot of new business this year.”
“Lewis is one of several new team members and a great example of our approach to the future of the business.” says managing partner of finance, Sharon Dakin. “He has grown into his current role really quickly.
“We currently employ around 40 full-time staff members, and the blend of new and experienced people has created a great dynamic. Investing in the new and updated software systems to better manage the business will also help us attract even more young talent.”
