Rowlinson Packaging Ltd.
About us
Packaging You Can Trust
Rowlinson Packaging is a leading designer and manufacturer of bespoke and standard timber packaging. We are a family-owned business who have been experts in timber packaging since 1966. With over 50 years’ experience across two sites covering over 30 acres. Whatever you require, we will design, manufacture and deliver an ideal solution at a competitive price.
We provide services to some of the UK and Europe’s largest manufacturing exporters, with a workforce of 200 employees and our own fleet of new, low-emission vehicles. We are also able to hold product in stock for up to three months, providing a stock-and-serve service.
Also available are consignment stock, JIT and KANBAN supply solutions to suit your business needs. Our sites are situated in the North and South of the country, providing premium packaging solutions across the whole of the UK.
Our reputation for product development, high service levels and excellent value for money is second to none and our main product lines include:
- Wooden packing cases
- Wooden packing crates
- Wooden pallets
A brief history
James Rowlinson left school at the age of twelve and started work sweeping up for a timber merchant. Progressing through the ranks to become a timber salesman. Ultimately, he decided to work for himself and started a small family business in the 1920s, as a brass plate sales agent buying and selling timber. Soon afterwards land was purchased alongside the Manchester Ship Canal on Trafford Park Industrial Estate and in 1926 James Rowlinson & Sons was created.
At the time the British Empire was an area for the export of capital goods, e.g., steam trains, cars, and large consumer goods. So apart from timber for housing, with conventional freight, everything exported had to go in crates or packing cases. The site at Trafford Park, already a sawmill and timber yard, started to manufacture timber crates and packing cases for exported goods. Through the decades the company expanded, importing timber from around the world and selling everything from timber carcassing for construction, to the finest veneers for high end motor vehicles. Whilst increasing its manufacturing portfolio to included prefab housing panels, wirebound containers, agricultural buildings, roof trusses, pallets, shuttering and much more.
The growth of the company saw a rise in the number of its sites across the UK and Europe. In the 1960s a twenty plus acres site on an ex-RAF aerodrome at Wardle in Cheshire was acquired. Today, the Wardle site is home to the head office of the Rowlinson Group and the key manufacturing site for Rowlinson Packaging.
Products & services
Wirebound Crate
First being developed for the automotive industry in the United States, wirebound containers are uniquely manufactured by Rowlinson Packaging within the UK and have become very popular with both British and American armed forces as well as for their use as automotive shipping containers over the past few years due to being very robust, light and cost-effective. Being commonly used as automotive shipping containers, our wooden wirebound containers were developed with the idea of saving both on weight and cost with the implementation of a range of solutions to reduce the thickness of the timber or plywood sheathing. The addition of the wire offers such a level of additional strength to each individual wirebound container that the panel material thickness can be reduced.
Clip-Lok Case
Collapsible plywood case held together by heavy duty steel clips. Clip-Lok cases are simple to put together and able to be erected in mere moments from completely flat, making transportation and storage when not in use easier and more efficient than most other forms of packaging available. With a focus on reducing costs, minimising environmental impact, and ensuring product protection, Clip-Lok cases have earned recognition and accolades for their patented protection and unique components.
Wooden Pallets
Since Rowlinson Packaging first started trading in 1966, wooden pallets have been a core element of our business and since then our manufacturing process has changed considerably with the introduction of a high-speed CAPE line and Pallet Design System (PDS) in the last few years bringing efficiency and quality to every wooden pallet we manufacture. Supplying the standard 4-way entry wooden pallet in both 1200 x 1000mm and 1200 x 800mm as well as bespoke pallets made to our customer’s specific design and size we have invested in high-speed manufacturing machinery which not only allows us to offer competitive prices but when allied to our stockholding, it gives us the capacity to guarantee timely deliveries to our customers.
Plywood Cases
Based out of Nantwich, Rowlinson Packaging Ltd is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of bespoke plywood cases. Storing transporting around the globe our customers, being some of the largest exporters in the UK, require bespoke long-lasting plywood storage cases for products of all scales, dimensions and weights. Designed using our Solidworks® CAD system our development team are able to design plywood boxes directly to our customer’s exact specifications always ensuring products are kept safe.
Warehouse Containers
Rowlinson Packaging stands out as the premier manufacturer of bespoke wooden warehouse storage containers, setting the industry standard with two distinct styles that have become the epitome of excellence and popularity throughout the entire UK. Crafted from top-tier plywood and timber, our wooden warehouse storage containers offer an extended trouble-free service, ensuring the protection of your valuable contents at a highly competitive price point. Our commitment to customisation extends beyond just the styles; all our warehouse containers are bespoke-made, catering to the unique storage needs of companies across the UK. These containers are adept at accommodating products of varied dimensions and weights within your production facility, showcasing their versatility and adaptability.
Bespoke Packaging
In a world where diverse products traverse the global supply chain daily, the need for tailor-made packaging solutions is imperative. No one understands this better than the team here at Rowlinson Packaging Ltd. Operating out of Nantwich, Cheshire since 1966, we have seamlessly blended tradition with technology, employing cutting-edge Solidworks CAD software to craft packaging solutions that align perfectly with your unique requirements.
