Suppliers help fire-hit pack firm bounce back

Crawley-based Alexir Packaging, the packaging arm of Alexir Partnership, was forced to close its plant after a fire last year.

However, it has been able to restart just 10 weeks after finishing equipment manufacturer Bobst sped over equipment from its worldwide demonstration sites.

The first live production job to leave the new plant ran through a Bobst Expertfold folder-gluer on 13 January. A Bobst Masterfold 110 and Expertcut 106 PE die-cutter are also being installed.

Managing director Robert Davison said: "We have had a phenomenal response from our staff who have worked 24/7 to get us back into production, and they have been supported by an amazing response from our suppliers and the industry in general.

"It is a huge relief to see cartons coming off the Bobst line after all we have been through – it really marks the return of Alexir Packaging.

"It is almost unbelievable how far we have come in the past 10 weeks, especially if you factor in the disruption caused by the snow and by the Christmas break. We now expect to be fully operational by the end of the month."

Also currently being installed at the plant is a Komori LSX640+C(H) six colour press, a Fuji CTP system, a Kohmann window patcher, and a Heiber+ Schröder tray former.