The new TCY N6 casemaker, complete with Fossaluzza pre-feeder and automatic palletiser/stacker, will double the firm’s regular case capacity, allowing it to run 250 boxes per minute, up from 120.

Installed in June and July, the N6 joins a two-colour TCY Jumbo Casemaker with rotary die cutter, inline stitcher-gluer and feeding and stacking capabilities.

Billy Hutchinson, managing director of Lesters, said the original two-colour machine had proved so effective that the company had decided to reinvest.

He said: “Our original TCY Jumbo Casemaker has been in for just over 18 months now and has been a real game-changer for our company.

“It helped us cope with the unprecedented demand we’ve seen, so it made perfect sense to expand our capacity with a second machine. 

“We had to do a lot of strengthening of the floor during the installation, but the technology is now up and running and will help us target even more opportunities in a host of growing sectors.”

One such growing sector for the 60-strong firm is the automotive industry.

To support this growth Lesters has brought in Mark Aucott, a salesman with over 20 years’ experience in the supply chain, to head up a new automotive division.

Aucott will work with new and existing clients to win business for the firm and lower supply chain costs and meet sustainability targets.

He said: “It’s not just about providing a box; it’s about optimising supply chains and building long-term partnerships that allow us to drive change in the market with new innovations. 

“We’re already achieving this with a number of clients, and we’ve only just got started.”

Lesters turned over £16.5m in 2022/23; growth is so strong since installing the new machines that it expects to achieve £25m in 2023/24.