Great Central Plastics Ltd

Great Central Plastics Ltd (GCP) is one of the UK’s leading plastic injection moulding companies.  Based in Northamptonshire, the company manufacture bespoke products for some of the country’s best known brands.

Why engage with Invest to Grow?

After facing several external challenges, GCP recognised it needed to invest and modernise its operations to remain competitive in the market, particularly from overseas.  However, sufficient finances were not readily available, and the company applied to Invest to Grow for funding to help them realise their ambitions.

The funding received from Invest to Grow gave the company confidence to introduce new automation and robotics into its on-site production processes.

Zan Philips, Head of Finance commented “Our turnover has doubled in the last few years, a lot of this can be attributed to this funding.  It helped us modernise with automation and both ourselves and our customers could quickly see the benefits, which lead to more contracts being won.”

What has been the impact of Invest to Grow?

The initial investment was pivotal for the business.  The introduction of the first robot acted as a catalyst, generating additional contracts and creating further opportunities for the business to expand.  As GCP has continued to grow it has invested further in robotics and the company is currently awaiting delivery of their sixth robot.  The move to automating production, has enabled GCP to manage their labour costs, upskill the production team in robotics and has helped them remain competitive in the global market.  The new machinery is also far more energy efficient so has helped reduce energy consumption.

GCP state they have had a “fantastic experience” working with the Invest to Grow team and are keen to build on this relationship with the University of Derby by welcoming student visits to the site.