It’s hard to truly grasp the scale of Sheard Packaging until you arrive on site. Stepping through the gate to this sprawling Yorkshire facility, you’re immediately met by 37,000 square metres of corrugated ingenuity, with 16,000 devoted purely to manufacturing. Operating 24/7 throughout the year, it is one of the largest corrugated case manufacturing plants in the United Kingdom.
However, look closer, and the physical scale is not the most impressive thing to be found here. Instead, it’s the people who make it all happen.
On arrival, visitors are taken aboard Sheard Packaging’s Mobile Innovation Centre, or MiC, as it is more commonly known, which was showcased at Packaging Innovations & Empack. This industry-leading creation brings the full capabilities of the Innovation and Design Centre directly to clients with a fully functional design studio, a Zünd cutting table, and a full testing laboratory. Onboard, the Sheard Packaging team can demonstrate machines such as the Lantech Case Erector and Sealer while assessing real client boxes in real time. Every idea, sample, and test is backed by Sheard Packaging’s Value Engineering analysis, which considers design, shelf fit, automation, warehousing, and logistics to identify immediate opportunities for efficiency and optimisation.
Visitors are next guided to the more traditional factory environment. The contrast is deliberate. Where the MiC showcases speed and hands-on innovation, the factory floor embodies scale, precision, operating efficiency and enduring craftsmanship. Rows of high-quality printers, die cutters, and high-speed case makers operate in synchrony, while experienced staff oversee every fold, crease, printing and glueing process.
A boardroom tour follows, during which wall visuals trace the company’s journey from its founding in 1860 to its current status as a fifth-generation, family-owned business. Roger Whittaker, entrepreneurial owner, and Lee Shackleton, managing director, embody the ambition and drive that have propelled Sheard Packaging to a turnover of £85 million. Producing over 175 million square metres of corrugated board annually, the company remains debt-free and independent, reinvesting profits into people, technology, and innovation without the pressures of external shareholders.
Roger reflects on the philosophy that has guided the business for generations. “At the heart of Sheard Packaging is a simple principle. We look after our people, we look after our customers, and we keep investing in the future of the business. If you get those things right, growth tends to follow naturally. It has never been about chasing numbers. It has always been about building something sustainable that the next generation can be proud of.”
Walking through the facility, the human scale becomes as impressive as the industrial. Mezzanine offices overlook the machines and perfect stacks of boxes, while colleagues greet each other by name. Even the staff canteen (“The Loft”), which feeds the workforce each day, looks out across the factory floor, a daily reminder that everyone in the business remains closely connected to the craft at its heart. Steve Carroll, who has been with Sheard Packaging for 47 years, reflects on this culture: “I started out making recycled boxes from boards, and now I look after our biggest heritage accounts. I have never wanted to work anywhere else. It really does feel like a family. We eat, sleep, and breathe this business.”
Of 283 staff, 65% have been with the company for more than five years, and new talent continues to join from across the packaging industry and other sectors.
“Every department, every individual contributes to the bigger picture,” says Lee Shackleton. “It is the dedication of our people that allows us to consistently deliver for our customers, even when the market presents hurdles.”
At the heart of this rhythm is Sheard Packaging’s Innovation and Design Centre (iDC). From new product development to packaging reviews, training days, and value engineering, this custom-built facility embodies the company’s commitment to combining creativity with practicality. Within the iDC, designers and the new product development team leverage state-of-the-art tools, including the Zünd digital cutting table and upgraded design software, to bring ideas to life. Concepts are translated into tangible solutions, supporting both FMCG giants and agile start-ups alike.
Long-standing supplier relationships, FSC-certified materials, and rigorous ISO and BRC standards reinforce Sheard Packaging’s commitment to quality and responsibility. A 12,000-pallet warehouse and a 24/7 nationwide transport network ensure products move from the production line to the retail shelf without interruption. Yet for all this capability, ambition remains tangible.
Growth rooted in relationships
At Sheard Packaging, growth is measured as much by relationships, capability, and opportunity as it is by turnover. Expansion exists to support staff, deepen client partnerships, and deliver a service that is agile, personal, and unwaveringly reliable – “the Sheard DNA”. This philosophy guides every investment and every decision.
Roger expands on the mindset that has shaped the company’s evolution. “My parents were incredibly forward-thinking in their time, introducing recycled board processes long before sustainability became a talking point across the industry. They taught us that innovation does not have to be complicated. Often it simply means finding a better way to do the right thing.”
Nowhere is this approach more evident than in the story of the business’s first Casemaker . Roger encountered the case maker during a visit to another manufacturer and immediately recognised its potential. He operated the first machine himself, hands-on, setting a tone of visionary leadership that continues to define Sheard Packaging today. That single decision would not only transform production but that spirit of practical innovation has shaped the family’s leadership over decades.
Success at Sheard Packaging has been built steadily over more than 160 years. From producing paper bags and wrappings in 1860, the business has evolved through family stewardship. In recent years, growth has accelerated. Turnover reached £10 million in 2003, £50 million in 2019, and £85 million today, with output nearly doubling in less than five years.
The next chapter is already taking shape with the arrival of a third Göpfert rotary die cutter. No other UK manufacturer has three of these advanced machines, making it a physical symbol of Sheard Packaging’s technical capability and commitment to staying ahead. It’s a mark not just of ambition, but of the culture and processes that make growth possible.
“Ambition and growth at Sheard Packaging are never abstract; they are grounded in people, culture, and a heritage stretching back over 160 years,” says Roger. “It’s a legacy that continues to guide every decision, every investment, and every box the company produces.”
Reliability, innovation, and forward-looking growth
Big customers often ask how Sheard Packaging manages risk. The answer lies in the same mindset that drives innovation: foresight, planning, and resilience. Operating as an entrepreneurial independent business allows the company to maintain duplicates of critical equipment: two existing Göpfert die cutters, six case makers, two flatbed die cutting lines, and three multi-point specialist gluers (a fourth Bahmüller gluer soon to arrive this June). Multiple suppliers and sites provide board, stereos, inks and cutting formes, ensuring production continues uninterrupted. Machinery is fully interchangeable, so if there is a challenge on a line, work can seamlessly move to another and maintain both speed and consistency.
Reliability is a top priority, and a dedicated maintenance team works seven days a week to keep every machine at peak performance. Staff meticulously check, adjust, and prepare each machine, ensuring every order, large or small, reaches customers on time and to exacting standards. Despite Sheard Packaging’s scale, this size never compromises its agility, and contingency planning is embedded in the business's DNA.
As Sheard Packaging’s customers have changed, so too has the business. Only 5 years ago trade work accounted for roughly 45% of output. Today, FMCG represents 75%. Each client is supported by a dedicated team comprising an account manager, technical contact, internal sales support, and a CAD designer. From the first interaction, clients can sense that it operates not merely as a supplier but as a fully integrated partner, invested in their growth and success.
“Seeing both new talent and long-standing team members thrive side by side is incredibly rewarding,” Lee notes. “It reminds us that growth is about people, not just numbers. When we invest in our teams, nurture skills, and foster a culture where everyone understands the bigger picture, the benefits extend straight to our clients.”
Behind the scenes, Sheard Packaging is developing SheardSense, a suite of digital Value Creation tools delivering clear, data-driven insights into packaging performance and supply-chain efficiency. Modules like SupplySense, PackSense, PrintSense and ShelfSense help clients optimise material usage, pallet configurations, print quality, and shelf presentation. The results are striking. Clients have improved pallet cube utilisation from 22% to 86%, recovered £2.5 million in potential lost sales, and saved tens of thousands in labour costs.
“Presenting data visually in real time helps clients make informed decisions on the spot,” Lee explains. “It turns complex figures into actionable value across every stage of packaging.”
Sustainability is integral to this approach. Sheard Packaging has achieved Ecovadis Gold and is now targeting Platinum. FSC-certified supply chains are standard, and specialist accreditations, including seafood safety standards, reflect the diversity of the customer base. A dedicated innovation team translates ideas into measurable value, auditing pallets, storage, and supply chains to generate efficiency gains worth hundreds of thousands of pounds for clients.
Construction across the site signals growth driven by real demand. The latest project at the company will expand the existing warehouse and utilities to create an additional 3,400sqm of covered storage and operational space. “We have always believed in reinvesting back into the business,” says Roger. “Whether it’s new machinery, expanding the site, or developing our people, those decisions are about building capability for the future. Being independent gives us the freedom to take that long-term view. We can make decisions today that strengthen the business for the next 10, 20, even 50 years.”
Sheard Packaging is a place where scale meets soul. With 37,000sqm of production space fuelled by decades of expertise, cutting-edge technology, and a culture of care, the business is equipped to transform ideas into high-volume, precision-engineered packaging. Every process, every investment, and every decision is shaped by people, purpose, and performance, turning insight into measurable value for clients. Every box, and the millions that leave the West Yorkshire site weekly, reflect the company’s heritage, its commitment to sustainability, and a relentless pursuit of excellence, proof that ambition, craftsmanship, and human ingenuity can coexist at an industrial scale.