What Record Packaging Systems does

Record Packaging Systems Limited is a privately held, family-owned UK packaging machinery distributor and integrator founded in 1988 and headquartered in Stretford, Manchester. The company sells industrial packaging and processing equipment designed by Italian engineering partners — including flow wrappers (box motion, rotary, and inverted variants), vertical form fill seal (VFFS), thermoforming machines, tray sealers, cartoning systems, case packers, palletisers, multihead weighers, and ancillary processing equipment (spiral coolers, ovens, mixers, depositers). At the higher end of the portfolio, Record integrates these machines into fully bespoke turnkey automated packaging lines, with documented project values ranging from £160,000 to €800,000.

The company's value proposition centres on bespoke engineering for challenging product-handling requirements — hermetic sealing for Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), cleanroom-grade pharmaceutical packaging, and plastic-free sustainable packaging — combined with a direct, consultative sales model and a post-sale service infrastructure (the Record Performance Pathway and Record Care Programme) that includes preventative maintenance and an extensive spare parts inventory held in Manchester. Distribution is exclusively direct sales, with a regional office in Dublin opened in 2018 to serve the Irish market under Technical Director Andrew Murphy, and principal OEM partnerships with Tecnopack, GHD Hartmann, and Colimatic co-exhibited at Interpack 2026.

Customer segments are dominated by UK and Irish food manufacturers — bakery (Greggs, Finsbury Food Group, Baker & Baker, Fox's, Newbridge), meat and poultry (Dawn Meats, Glenhaven), ready meals, and fish — with secondary exposure to pharmaceuticals (Micronclean), firelighting products (ZIP Fires), and industrial non-food applications. The company is ISO 9001 certified, SafeContractor accredited, and a member of the Processing and Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA). It is privately held by the Murphy family (Managing Director Edward Murphy, Sales Director Robert Murphy, Technical Director Andrew Murphy), with no external investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and no parent company. Employee count is in the 11–50 range.

Name

Record Packaging Systems

Legal name

Record Packaging Systems Limited

Website

https://recordpackaging.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Record Packaging Systems is a UK-based, family-owned distributor and integrator of Italian-engineered industrial packaging machinery, selling flow wrappers, tray sealers, thermoformers, and turnkey automated lines primarily to UK and Irish food manufacturers, with secondary reach into pharmaceutical and industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Packaging Machinery

NAICS

Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560)

akta.pro primary industry

Blister, Skin & Thermoform Packaging Machines (IMAHAOAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wrapping & Bundling Equipment (Shrink/Stretch) (IMAHAOAD), Bagging, Pouching & Sachet Packaging Equipment (IMAHAOAH), Filling & Dosing Machines (Liquid/Powder/Solid) (IMAHAOAF), Labeling, Coding & Marking Equipment (Labelers, Inkjet, Laser) (IMALAOAD)

Keywords

• Industrial packaging machinery
• Flow wrapping machines
• Modified atmosphere packaging
• Turnkey packaging automation
• Cartoning equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Stretford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Packaging Machinery Sales: Sale of industrial packaging equipment including flow wrappers, tray sealers, VFFS, cartoning machines, palletising systems, and turnkey automated lines. Equipment ranges from £40,000 to £2,000,000 depending on specifications.
2. Aftermarket Services: Preventative maintenance contracts, servicing, spare parts supply, and technical support. Extensive inventory of genuine spare parts maintained in Manchester for immediate dispatch.
3. Bespoke Engineering: Custom engineering adaptations, bespoke machine configurations, and specialized solutions for challenging product requirements such as cleanroom environments and plastic-free packaging.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Record Packaging Systems supplies industrial packaging machinery and turnkey automation lines — including flow wrappers, Vertical Form Fill Seal (VFFS), thermoforming, tray sealers, cartoners, palletisers, case packers, multihead weighers, shrink wrappers, and ancillary processing equipment — to food manufacturers (bakery, meat, poultry, fish, dairy) and non-food sectors (medical cleanroom, hardware, household) across the UK and Ireland. The company also delivers bespoke engineering, preventative maintenance, spare parts, and full project lifecycle support under the Record Performance Pathway and Record Care Programme.

Product overview

Record Packaging Systems is a packaging machinery provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of industrial packaging and processing equipment. The core offering includes horizontal flow wrappers (Box Motion, Rotary Motion, and Inverted Box Motion variants), Vertical Form Fill Seal (VFFS), thermoforming machines, tray sealers, and cartoning solutions (carton erectors, end loaders, carton closers, wrap around cartoners). Secondary equipment includes sachet packing, vacuum packing, pouch packing, stick packing, case packers, and palletising systems (layer, gantry, robotic). Processing equipment encompasses multihead weighers, spiral coolers, ovens, mixers, depositers, slicers, and thermal transfer printers. The company also offers turnkey integrated automation systems, refurbished machinery, and technology solutions like Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP). All products are supported through the Record Performance Pathway and Record Care Programme service frameworks. The machinery is designed by Italian engineering and the company serves food (bakery, meat, poultry, fish, dairy, fruit/veg) and non-food (hardware, medical/pharma, household, publishing) sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flow Wrappers High-speed packaging machines that wrap individual or grouped solid items in continuous film. Includes Box Motion (long-dwell hermetic seals for MAP), Rotary Motion (high-speed standard wrapping), and Inverted Box Motion (gentle handling for sticky/delicate products) variants.
• Vertical Form Fill Seal (VFFS) Machines that form bags from flat film rolls, fill them vertically, and seal them for loose, granular, or frozen products.
• Thermoforming Machines High-volume machines that form custom packaging directly from reel film, then fill and seal in-line for meat, poultry, and medical device sectors.
• Tray Sealers Machines that hermetically seal pre-formed trays with flexible lidding film; standard for fresh food, ready meals, meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Carton Erector Machines that automatically take flat carton blanks from a magazine and erect them into 3D shapes at high speed.
• End Loader Cartoner Side-load or horizontal cartoning machines that pack products by loading them from the side into pre-erected cartons at high speed.
• Carton Closing Machines that automatically fold and seal top flaps of pre-filled paperboard cartons at high speed.
• Wrap Around Cartoner Machines that form retail-ready paperboard cartons around products using flat die-cut blanks; ideal for multipacks of yoghurt pots, bottles, and cans.
• Sachet Packing Machines for small-format sealed pouches used for sample-sized items and single-use portions.
• Vacuum Packing Packaging machines that remove air from packages to extend shelf life and protect products.
• Pouch Packing Flexible pouch packaging machines for various product types.
• Stick Packing Machines for narrow stick-format pouches, commonly used for condiments and pharmaceutical applications.
• Case Packers Machines that automatically load and pack products into cases or cartons.
• Palletising Systems Automated palletising systems including layer, gantry, and robotic palletisers for end-of-line stacking.
• Shrink Wrapping Machines that wrap products in film and apply heat to create tight seals around items or groups.
• Multihead Weigher Precision weighing systems that use multiple load cells for high-speed, accurate portioning of products.
• Labelling Labelling equipment including print and apply label applicators and standard label applicators.
• Turnkey Systems Fully integrated, bespoke automated packaging lines combining multiple machines for end-to-end production. Documented projects include Newbridge (€800,000, 400 units/min), Glenhaven (€800,000), McColgans (£275,000), Micronclean (£160,000), and ZIP Fires (€360,000).
• Refurbished Machines Pre-owned packaging machinery that has been restored and certified for reliable operation.
• Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) Packaging technology that replaces oxygen inside packages with gas mixtures (nitrogen, carbon dioxide) to extend shelf life; integrated into flow wrappers, tray sealers, and thermoformers.
• Record Performance Pathway Comprehensive customer support framework covering consultation, specification, installation, and long-term technical support for packaging machinery investments.
• Record Care Programme Ongoing preventative maintenance, technical support, and spare parts delivery programme backed by an extensive spare parts inventory maintained in Manchester for immediate dispatch.

Quantifiable outcome

• 66% reduction in labour for Newbridge bakery line
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TecnopackcoreTechnology or Integration · 8 May 2026Principal partner for Interpack 2026 exhibition. Tecnopack is a European machinery partner showcased at the world's leading trade fair for packaging and processing industry.
• GHD HartmanncoreTechnology or Integration · 8 May 2026Principal partner for Interpack 2026 exhibition. GHD Hartmann is a European machinery partner showcased alongside Record Packaging Systems at Interpack.
• ColimaticcoreTechnology or Integration · 8 May 2026Principal partner for Interpack 2026 exhibition. Colimatic is a European machinery partner demonstrating new efficiencies in primary and secondary packaging.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sealpac International: Dutch specialist manufacturer of tray sealing, thermoforming, and MAP machinery for fresh food, ready meals, meat, poultry, and seafood — a near-perfect functional overlap with Record's tray sealer, thermoforming, and MAP-led offering for the same European food customers.
• ULMA Packaging: Spanish mid-sized packaging machinery maker competing in flow wrap, tray seal, VFFS, and turnkey lines for the European food sector. Directly comparable size, geography, and product mix to Record's flow wrap / MAP / tray seal focus.
• Ilapak: Italian flow wrap, VFFS, and pouch packaging machinery specialist serving food and pharma customers in Europe. Highly comparable specialty focus on horizontal flow wrapping technology and similar target verticals to Record.
• GHD Hartmann: German packaging machinery manufacturer focused on MAP, tray sealing, and flow wrapping for the European food industry. Listed as a Record principal partner at Interpack 2026, indicating deeply overlapping product portfolios and target customers.
• Tecnopack: Italian manufacturer of flow wrap, VFFS, and MAP packaging machinery for the European food sector. A principal Record partner at Interpack 2026 and a direct peer in product focus — overlapping flow wrap, MAP, and turnkey packaging capabilities.
• Colimatic: Italian packaging machinery firm offering primary and secondary packaging solutions including flow wrap, VFFS, and end-of-line equipment. A Record principal partner at Interpack 2026 and direct competitor in similar mid-market European food packaging projects.

Broad incumbents

• MULTIVAC: German global leader in thermoforming, tray sealing, and MAP packaging machinery for food, medical, and consumer goods. Broader portfolio and global scale than Record but overlapping core product lines and customer base in food/pharma packaging automation.
• Ishida Europe: European arm of Japanese multihead weigher, VFFS, and tray sealing specialist serving the same food-manufacturing customer base. Competes with Record's multihead weigher and VFFS product lines and shares the food packaging end-market.
• Syntegon Technology: Former Bosch Packaging Technology, now a major global packaging machinery incumbent with broad offerings in food, pharma, and consumer goods. Competes with Record in flow wrap, cartoning, and turnkey lines but at significantly larger scale and geographic breadth.
• ProMach: US-based broad packaging machinery incumbent with a wide product portfolio across flow wrapping, cartoning, palletising, and end-of-line. Competes with Record in turnkey packaging line integration for major food and consumer goods manufacturers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
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Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Record Packaging Systems