EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 01+02/22 www.petpla.net 14 Tour Sponsors: First Circle: New name, new direction by Ruari McCallion Interview with First Circle Packaging Limited December 13, 2021 We met: Mr Chris Phelan, CEO and Mr Greg Ward, HR Director First Circle Packaging Limited emerged from the restructuring of Nampak Ltd, where the UK Plastics division was divested. Nampak Plastics was previously formed by the merger of Plysu and Blowmocan back in 1999. Greybull Capital LLP, its new owners, have committed to significant strategic investment including development of new product lines outside of dairy, including its first foray into PET. PETplanet Insider’s UK editor, Ruari McCallion, met HR Director Greg Ward and CEO Chris Phelan – coincidentally, two years exactly from the acquisition. First Circle Packaging’s HQ is in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, 90 km north of central London. It has very good transport links, being less than 4 km from the M1 arterial highway from London to the Midlands and North of England, and well-placed for east-west routes as well. It also has a facility in Livingston, Scotland, which serves the local market and Northern England. The brand name may be new but it has a long history of manufacturing and supply of polymer packaging, with the familiar names of Plysu and Blowmocan in its legacy. It was owned by South African company Nampak from 1999 to 2019, when it was acquired by private equity firm Greybull Capital. The acquisition was followed by a complete restructuring of the Board as part of the transition. It now employs over 230 people; it is actively seeking to recruit but it is up against tough competition in the local labour market. Rebranding, refocusing and restructuring The decision was made to rebrand from Nampak Plastics as part of a strategy that would draw a distinct line under the past. That the company did so in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, was a twoedged sword. As well as the inevitable upheaval that such an exercise would involve, the company had to deal with disruption to the supply chain, same as everyone else. On the upside, a less than predictable market meant that the whole workforce was already in troubleshooting mode, ready to deal with problems and unexpected challenges. “The change of ownership gave us an excellent opportunity to rebrand, to reflect, restructure and refocus,” said Greg Ward. “While there was uncertainty initially after the takeover, it quickly became clear that Greybull Capital’s view was that this business has growth potential and opportunity. Some is within the dairy industry but the market is already competitive with limited growth. We wanted to diversify, to extend our product portfolio outside of dairy, to return in some ways to the Plysu days and to go into personal care.” The choice of First Circle as the new name is intended to convey the company’s strategy to develop circular economy and manufacturing ideas and principles, as well as its decision to venture outside its traditional market of dairy, to personal care, First Circle’s factory hall F.l.t.r.: CEO Chris Phelan with HR Director Greg Ward
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