The new facility, built on the mill’s existing estate, was completed on 1 March 2024, with machinery installed at the end of February. 

Manufacturing is due to commence by the middle of March, ramping up production thereafter to meet the contracted terms. The facility, Romiley said, will have capacity for 200 million board envelopes annually.

Philip Keating, packaging division operations consultant at Romiley, told Printweek that the new division was a tremendous gain for the firm, with the board envelopes joining the manufacturer’s existing offering of layer sheets, cardboard tubes and cardboard corner protectors, all made from the mill’s 100% recycled board.

He added: “This is a substantial investment for Romiley Mill and it will give the mill a large foothold in solid board converting for items such as all-board e-commerce envelopes, and folding cartons of all descriptions.

"This initiative represents a significant milestone and I am proud to play a key role in it."

Romiley will be fitting out the facility with a bespoke arrangement of web flexo printers, web die-cutters and carton gluers, from a number of different manufacturers.

“We’ve been flying all over the world,” Keating said, “to string together processes that wouldn’t normally be integrated – it’s a big project, but we’ve managed it successfully.

"While our purpose-built premises are ready, and the equipment has been factory commissioned, its installation on-site is imminent. This marks the culmination of months of meticulous planning and collaboration."

Keating added that he was "filled with anticipation" to see the kit in action.

"With automated batching processes and robotic palletising systems poised to streamline our workflow, we are well-positioned to set new benchmarks for efficiency and service excellence in the e-commerce packaging industry," he said.

Romiley has started recruiting for staff to fill out the new factory, with the goal of finding 20 new staff to join employees seconded from the main 40,000sqm mill facility.

Staff sought include skilled flexo printers, a Bobst flatbed die-cutter operator, and carton gluer operators.

Romiley is part of the Preston Board and Packaging group, which produces laminated cartonboard, solid board, and display board products at its Preston mill, and unlined chipboard at its Romiley mill.