King's Lynn packaging firm receives prestigious accolade after Covid-19 response

A Lynn packaging firm is celebrating after it was featured in The Sunday Times International Track 200 Listing for the first time.

Southgate Packaging has been named the leading European packaging company ranked 48th in this year’s prestigious league table, further reinforcing its position as an industry leader.

Managing director Craig Turner took over the company in late 2019, utilising his 13 years of industry expertise to respond quickly to Covid-19 crisis. Under his direction, the company focused on product innovation to counteract what was inevitably going to lead to a decline in sales, allowing Southgate to continue to drive growth.

He said: “We are delighted to be listed in The Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200. Considering the challenges we faced last year, not only as an industry but across the whole economy, it is a fantastic achievement.

“When Covid-19 struck we had to adapt quickly and innovatively. Our team worked collaboratively to create solutions to support both our customers and the supply chain. In addition, the e-commerce boom contributed to an increase in product sales and our wide customer base remained loyal. All of these factors allowed us to remain profitable and even break boundaries for growth within the sector by the end of 2020.”

The company, which is based at Sterling House in Lynn, is the second highest ranking packaging provider in the list, with only three packaging providers featured in total.

The listing ranks Britain’s mid-market private companies with the fastest growing international sales, measured over the last two years.

With more than 50 years of packaging industry experience, and a policy of global sourcing and innovative product development, Southgate ensures its customers stay at the forefront of the packaging product market via its sustainable supply chain.

With a customer base ranging from over 600 distributors across Europe to a portfolio of large e-commerce clients and those specialising in warehousing and logistics, Southgate has a substantial portfolio of international clients.

Looking ahead to 2021 and beyond, Southgate has recognised that sustainability and e-commerce are two key trends which will be driving the industry forward.

The pioneering packaging supplier will be prioritising product innovation across these two areas, alongside investing in its people and its brand to continue to drive business growth.