With three sites across Yorkshire and the North East, Samuel Grant Packaging was established in 1891 by the Great Grandfather of the current Managing Directors. The company offers packaging as a service, with a team of expert consultants whose experience in the industry helps them to deliver cost-effective packaging solutions for businesses of all sizes.
Joint Managing Directors
Andrew and Matthew Grant, Joint Managing Directors of Samuel Grant Packaging, speak to Warehouse and Logistics News.
What are your best-known products and services?
Samuel Grant have recently become best known for the invention of the Award- Winning Samson Nano pallet wrapping solution. The Samson Nano was invented specifically to offer pallet wrapping as a service, providing a unique price-perwrapped- pallet costing system, and inbuilt internet-linked reporting software. The machine, servicing and maintenance and all consumables are included in a fixed price per wrapped pallet.
We also have their own range of Samson branded tapes, bubble wrap, strapping, pallet wrap and stretch film, which go alongside the extensive range of boxes and all things packaging.
Being at the forefront of customer service is what makes Samuel Grant stand out from the crowd. Our passionate staff are knowledgeable and helpful, and advise clients on the best possible solutions to get their goods to their customers in pristine condition, whilst using as little packaging as possible
Which market sectors and countries are your customers in? Which ones are growing fastest?
Samuel Grant service the whole of the UK mainland. We operate in all market sectors, but have recently seen a notable increase in business in the food and food processing sector, which continues to be the fastest growing market. We also service customers in pharmaceuticals, furniture, textiles, and automotive, as well as large retailers.
How do your products benefit your customers’ businesses?
Our mission is to help our clients get their products to their customers in the best condition, using as little packaging as possible, and creating as little packaging waste as possible. Our advisers look at the whole packaging process from start to finish, and suggest ways in which things can be improved, with a constant focus on reducing costs and consumption. This benefits the clients’ bottom line in many ways, not only the consumables costs, but also the cost of storage and transportation of packaging materials. In addition, we often find that the cost of reworking goods damaged in transit can be more than the cost of the goods themselves – effective packaging avoids this pitfall, and helps our clients service their customers in the best possible way. The additional benefit to all of our packaging as a service is a reduced impact on the environment from the packaging process.
Why should customers choose you as their main supplier in your area?
We provide not only all the packaging that our customers could need, but we can also store their packaging until they need it, and it can then be drawn down on request. This reduces the need for their own storage, with same-day delivery available. Our customer service is second to none – all our team are trained to advise clients on the best possible solutions, and they’re always on the end of the phone to help.
What’s business been like in the past year?
How have conditions changed over this period and how have you reacted? Despite numerous uncertainties in the markets at the moment, business at Samuel Grant Packaging is good, and growing. We are catering for any impact of Brexit by keeping high levels of stock to negate any impact on the exchange rate, and subsequent fluctuations in import taxes.
Keeping our stock levels high also means that we’re prepared for any importation delays due to unknown customs controls. We are in a fortunate position to have both the space and cash flow that allows us to do this.
What were the business highlights for you in the last 12 months?
Our highlight in the past year was winning the Queen’s Award for Innovation in honour of the Samson Nano pallet-wrapping system. We were delighted to welcome the Rt. Hon.
Andrew Coombe, Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, to a presentation event at our Sheffield branch on the 15th October, and earlier in the year two representatives from the company were invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace with HRH Price Charles. A great accolade for the company, and fantastic to be recognized in such a way. From a client perspective, we were also delighted to secure one of our largest ever accounts by changing the tender approach – we sent in our specialist to review what was being tendered for, and actually reduced the amount of packaging needed, therefore winning the tender and reducing the packaging consumption of the company in question dramatically.
What’s been your most outstanding recent project?
A variety of new projects in our operation stand out in recent times. We’ve moved to a new warehouse management system which has streamlined our operation significantly. We’ve recently expanded our new offices to incorporate a brand new boardroom with state of the art presentation equipment and new office accommodation, and we’ve also introduced a new innovation testing centre at our Leeds site.
How have you fine-tuned your offering in the last 12 months and why?
We are always looking at ways in which we can improve what we offer our customers. We do this by listening to their requirements and doing our utmost to solve their packaging dilemmas. This is never more the case than with the Samson Nano. We are constantly updating the ways we can offer pallet wrapping as a fixed price per wrapped pallet service. We tend to ask clients to pose us their biggest problems, and see it as our personal mission to solve them. Over the last few years we’ve done this by creating reinforced ramps, weighing tables within the machines, rotating arm machines for wrapping from above, and solutions for automated wrapping, to name but a few. We’ve also launched AirShield, a revolutionary packaging solution to challenge the predominance of polystyrene in the packaging of large and bulky goods – this continues to be a developing market, as the environmental impact of polystyrene becomes more of a concern for our customers and their end user.
What recent enhancements have you made in customer service?
We’ve invested in increasing our workforce in the North West, which allows us to service clients in that area much more effectively. Business in this area continues to grow at pace, and we are fortunate to have secured some large clients in the region thanks to having an improved presence.
What factors do you see affecting your business in the coming year? How will you turn these into opportunities?
There is no way anyone can know what impact Brexit is going to have, but we have mitigated against any uncertainty by accepting the invitation to join PackSynergy, Europe’s most successful packaging network, comprising 15 counterpart packaging companies. This helps us to swap best practice in a collaborative way, and also expands our distribution network regardless of border challenges that Brexit may throw our way. We are excited to be PackSynergy’s only UK member.
Are you planning to branch into any new areas, target new customers and take on more people?
We continue to grow the business, and are always on the lookout for great talent. We invest heavily in staff development and training, and consider the loyalty of our staff as testament to our investment in their careers and our family atmosphere. This year saw two of our staff celebrate forty years with the company – that’s not something that happens often these days. We’ve also taken on new apprentices, and enjoy seeing our team develop and grow within the business.
Are you involved in any major trade shows or other industry events over the next year?
In the next year we will be attending some local events, as well as PPMA Total and Intralogistex.
And finally, if you had to sum up your company in a tweet what would it be? Samuel Grant Packaging @grantspackaging @samsonnano listen, advise and deliver optimum packaging solutions, on time, every time. #packaging #warehouse #logistics
SAMUEL GRANT
0113 270 7221
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