Veteran packaging firm boss retires

The former New Business Development Director of Cricklade-based packaging firm GWP Group has announced his retirement after 34 years with the business.

Ian Heskins was part of the original team at Great Western Packaging, having been invited to join the then startup by founders David Pedley and Charles Eatwell. 

It eventually became GWP Group and was purchased by Macfarlane Group in 2021, and Ian helped grow the company from its humble beginnings to a £20m-plus business.

Ian said:“Being part of GWP and its journey over the years has been hugely rewarding. I'm very fortunate to have seen a business go from nothing to the scale of success it now has. 

"I feel quite privileged to have been able to be the part of that.”

Recalling the early days of the company, which he joined in August 1990, Ian said: “The early days were brilliant fun! Very exciting, very busy and very, very varied as we grew from day one. 

"I’d spend mornings out on the road selling and then maybe in the afternoon I'd be making deliveries and then in the evening as we started to get busier - probably through the mid-90s and we had some bigger contracts in place -  we had to run night shifts. So there were times when we'd be running the machines in the middle of the night!“

He added:“So it was really exciting. It was really good fun. It was really varied. It was really tiring. All of those things. But above all, it was exciting.”

Although the business has gone from strength to strength over the past 10 years, there have been significant challenges over the years.

“Swindon, back in the 1990s, was a really substantial manufacturing town, but towards the end of that decade a lot of that higher end manufacturing disappeared to the Far East. We of course had the financial crisis in 2008, and COVID more recently too. 

“But the strength of the team at GWP ensured we managed to navigate these difficult times and come out stronger on the other side.

“I’ll really miss just being a part of it, being a part of something which has been a major part of my life for more than 30 years.

“Packaging may not be what you would call a 'sexy' industry in terms of its appeal to people who are considering their careers. But I'd suggest to anyone to give it serious consideration because it's an industry full of variety and opportunity.”

Ruth Cook, who has also been with the company since day one, and is now Managing Director, said: “Ian has been an integral part of GWP since the very beginning. His knowledge and ability to build lasting relationships with customers has been a significant factor in our ongoing growth and success.

“On behalf of everyone here at GWP, we wish him a long and happy retirement to enjoy his passions – cars and motoring, travel, and spending quality time with his family.”