Cross said the award represents his £46m-turnover firm’s contribution to cross-community employment in Northern Ireland, in a deprived part of Belfast, as well as his voluntary work.
He is currently president of the British Red Cross in Northern Ireland and has also volunteered on an ad-hoc basis for the Integrated Education Fund and The Prince’s Trust, among others.
“It came like a bolt from the blue but it’s great to get some recognition at such a high level,” said Cross.
“I’m pleased to accept this honour not just for my own efforts, but in recognition of all the directors and staff as well that have made a contribution to the achievement of the business.”
Cross started out in print in 1980 when he invested in some Gestetner litho presses, a guillotine, a typesetter and saddle-stitching equipment. He had previously worked as a buyer for both FG Wilson Engineering and hi-fi equipment manufacturer Strathearn Audio.
Prior to that Cross completed an 11-month stint in the Northern Ireland Civil Service and spent five years in the Merchant Navy.
“As a buyer I used to buy machinery and one of the ancillary functions of the job was buying the print,” said Cross.
“I started out with some very basic equipment and we had some indigenous growth over a number of years, moving from one factory to another. We also got some valuable support from Invest Northern Ireland.”
The business, which now produces fast-food packaging for international restaurant brands including KFC and McDonald’s, currently employs around 270 staff at its 27,870sqm headquarters in Belfast and 30 at its recently opened new base in Gliwice, Poland.
The firm recently extended its Belfast premises by 5,000sqm to accommodate a range of new equipment – part of a £20m investment programme carried out by the company over the past year.
Machinery installed over the past 12 months includes two Heidelberg Speedmasters, an XL 145 and an XL 106, a KBA-Flexotecnica web press, a Pasaban sheeter, a Komori rotary die-cutter, two large-format Bobst die-cutters and Bobst gluing equipment.
