What Riverside does

Riverside Medical Packaging Company Ltd is a Derby, UK-based manufacturer and service provider specialising in sterile medical packaging, packaging equipment, and cleanroom-based contract packaging solutions. Founded in 1979 by David Shaw, the company supplies peel pouches, sachets, blister trays, and surgical trays to medical device manufacturers globally, producing over 40 million pouches annually. Its core technology centres on the proprietary Shawpak narrow web thermoforming platform — engineered in-house and offered at approximately one-third of traditional thermoforming equipment cost — complemented by the Shawseal TS2 pouch sealer, Shawvac vacuum pouch sealer, and MEDIPACKER TS blister tray sealer product lines. The company operates twelve ISO-certified cleanrooms (three Class 8 and nine Class 7) within a facility footprint exceeding 86,000 sq ft in Derby, providing contract packing, blister packing, pouch packaging, product assembly, ultrasonic cleaning, injection moulding, and validation services (packaging, sterilisation, and cleaning) per ISO 11607 and related standards. Its vertically integrated service offering spans product design, prototyping, validation, and sterilisation, enabling customers to consolidate regulatory-complex workflows under a single UK-based supplier.

The company generates revenue from four streams: transactional hardware sales of packaging consumables (over 40 million pouches per annum) and proprietary equipment (Shawpak machines from £70,000), project-based contract packaging and cleanroom rental services, packaging/sterilisation/cleaning validation services, and managed custom fulfilment engagements covering product development through supply chain fulfilment. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales supported by trade show presence at Medica and Compamed, with customer segments spanning medical device manufacturers, healthcare providers, hospital pharmacists and compounders (via the AMD sub-brand for aseptic parenteral manufacturing supplies), nutrition and supplement manufacturers, and veterinary companies.

Riverside was acquired by Sterimed, a France-headquartered global medical packaging group with €260m+ sales and 24 sites worldwide, in June 2024, and now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary. The management team, led by Managing Director Matthew Roe, remains in place; founder David Shaw joined Sterimed's core entrepreneurs' team as a shareholder. The company holds ISO 13485:2016, ISO 14001:2015, UKCA, and EU MDR certifications, positioning it as a qualified supplier to regulated medical device manufacturers in the UK, EU, and globally.

Name

Riverside

Legal name

Riverside Medical Packaging Company Ltd

Website

https://riversidemedical.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Riverside Medical Packaging, founded 1979 in Derby UK, manufactures medical peel pouches and proprietary Shawpak thermoforming equipment and provides cleanroom-based contract packaging, validation, and custom fulfilment services for medical device manufacturers. Acquired by Sterimed in 2024.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Device Packaging

NAICS

Plastics Bag and Pouch Manufacturing (326111), Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing (326112), Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993)

SIC

Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)

akta.pro primary industry

Sterile & Aseptic Medical Packaging (Pouches, Wraps, Sterile Barriers) (IMALAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pharmaceutical & Medical Plastic Packaging Manufacturing (IMANAEAK), Blister, Skin & Thermoform Packaging Machines (IMAHAOAI), Primary Pharmaceutical Packaging (Blister Packs, Bottles, Vials, Ampoules) (IMALAIAA), Medical & Pharmaceutical Thermoformed Packaging (IMANAHAB)

Keywords

• Medical packaging solutions
• Contract packaging services
• Cleanroom manufacturing
• Packaging validation services
• Medical device thermoforming

Headquarters

HQ city

Derby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical Packaging Products: Sale of peel pouches, sachets, blister trays, surgical trays, and reel stock to medical device manufacturers. Supplies over 40 million pouches per annum globally. Revenue is one-time transactional per order.
2. Contract Packaging & Manufacturing Services: Cleanroom-based contract packing and contract manufacture services, including blister packing, pouch packaging, product assembly, and medical device contract packing. Services include ultrasonic cleaning, injection moulding, and sterilisation sub-contracting. Revenue is project/service-based.
3. Packaging Equipment Sales: Sale of proprietary Shawpak thermoforming machines (starting at £70,000), Shawseal pouch sealers, Shawvac vacuum sealers, and MEDIPACKER TS blister tray sealers. One-time capital equipment sales with optional calibration and validation service contracts.
4. Validation Services: Packaging validation, sterilisation validation, cleaning validation, and stability testing services. Includes operational qualification (OQ), performance qualification (PQ), distribution/transit testing, and accelerated/real-time aging studies.
5. Custom Fulfilment Solutions: Project management of packaging design, cleaning verification, packaging validation, stability, and sterilisation validations. Covers product development, product manufacture, and supply chain fulfilment for complex medical devices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Riverside Medical Packaging manufactures medical packaging products (peel pouches, sachets, blister trays, reel stock) and proprietary packaging equipment (Shawpak thermoform machines, Shawseal pouch sealers, Shawvac vacuum sealers, MEDIPACKER TS blister tray sealers). The company also provides contract packaging, contract manufacturing, and validation services through twelve ISO-certified cleanrooms at its Derby, UK facility. Customers include medical device manufacturers, healthcare providers, veterinary companies, and nutrition/supplement producers.

Product overview

Riverside Medical Packaging operates as a medical packaging solutions company offering both products and services. The core product portfolio centers on the Shawpak thermoform machine, Shawseal TS2 pouch sealer, Shawvac vacuum sealer, and MEDIPACKER TS blister tray sealer lines, complemented by over 40 million medical peel pouches and sachets produced annually. Services include twelve cleanroom facilities for contract packing (blister, pouch, assembly), comprehensive validation services (packaging, sterilisation, cleaning), ultrasonic cleaning, and custom fulfilment solutions including injection moulding. The AMD (Aseptic Medical Devices) sub-brand provides multi-packed syringes and transfer devices for aseptic manufacturing. The company was acquired by Sterimed in June 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AMD (Aseptic Medical Devices): Medical devices in a format designed exclusively for the production of aseptically manufactured parenterals, including syringes, syringe caps, needles, filters, linked devices, and vial access devices.
• Shawpak

Products and services

• Shawpak Thermoform Machine Narrow web thermoforming machine for blister packing with in-line print and LED/UV cure technology; the Shawpak engineering division's proprietary design with significantly lower tooling costs than traditional thermoforming equipment.
• Shawseal TS2 Pneumatic Pouch Sealer Pouch and sachet sealing equipment with touchscreen interface, PIN-protected settings, data-logging capability (seal temperature, pressure, dwell time logged per actuation with serial number and timestamp), and full validation support. Available in three sizes with sealing widths up to 520mm.
• Shawvac Medical Vacuum Pouch Sealer Vacuum pouch sealing machine with controlled vacuum during the sealing process to protect vulnerable products from movement; optional gas backflushing or modified atmosphere packing with touchscreen HMI and calibration notifications.
• MEDIPACKER TS Blister Tray Sealer Universal heat-sealing machine for pre-formed trays with die-cut lids (Tyvek, medical paper, or compound foil). Features touchscreen programming, PID feedback control, FDA/GMP-qualifiable (DQ/IQ/OQ/PQ), and fast ~5 minute seal tool change. Available in three models (TS 3535, TS 5035, TS 7035).
• Medical Peel Pouches & Sachets Peel pouches and sachets for medical applications produced in ISO Class 8 cleanrooms. Includes clear high barrier film pouches, Tyvek and paper peel pouches, film married to uncoated Tyvek, and reinforced paper formats. Over 40 million pouches supplied per annum globally.
• Cleanroom & Contract Packaging Services Twelve ISO-certified cleanroom cells (3 Class 8 and 9 Class 7) for cleaning, moulding, assembly, blister packing, pouch packaging, and product assembly of medical devices. Includes cleanroom rental, blister packing, pouch packaging, and product assembly for medical device manufacturers.
• Custom Fulfilment Solutions Project management of packaging design, cleaning verification, packaging validation, stability and sterilisation validations, injection moulding, and product sourcing for medical device and nutrition supplement manufacturers. Covers product development, product manufacture, and supply chain fulfilment for complex medical devices.
• Packaging Validation Services Comprehensive packaging validation services including dye penetration testing, seal strength testing, burst testing, bubble emission leak detection, and accelerated/real-time aging for sterile barrier integrity per ISO 11607. Includes operational qualification (OQ), performance qualification (PQ), and distribution/transit testing.
• Sterilisation Validation Services Medical device sterilisation validations including Gamma irradiation and ETO validations for single-use products, with BI population verification and sterility testing for regulatory compliance.
• Cleaning Validation Services Validation of device/product cleaning processes integral to technical files and CE/CA accreditation requirements, with ongoing verification test plans for medical devices.
• Aseptic Medical Devices (AMD) Sub-Brand Multi-packed syringes and medical devices designed exclusively for aseptically manufactured parenterals, including syringe transfer sets, syringe caps, needles, filters, linked devices, and vial access devices for hospital pharmacists and compounders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tooling cost for Shawpak thermoforming machines is as little as 20% of traditional equipment cost
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SterimedcoreOthers · 24 June 2024Sterimed, a world leader in medical packaging headquartered in France, acquired Riverside Medical Packaging in June 2024. Under Sterimed's ownership, Riverside becomes part of a global medical packaging group with 24 sites worldwide, 14 manufacturing facilities, and over €260m sales (2022/23). The management team led by Matthew Roe stays in place, and founder David Shaw joins Sterimed's core entrepreneurs' team as a shareholder. This is Sterimed's 10th acquisition globally.
• Engineering Technology Group (ETG)coreTechnology or Integration · 12 February 2018ETG supplied Riverside with a Quaser MV 184 PH vertical machining centre to support increased Shawpak thermoforming machine production volumes. ETG has worked with Riverside for over five years providing machine tool solutions including precision spindle technology and Heidenhain controls. Riverside invested nearly £100,000 in developing a turnkey solution for this machining centre.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SteriPack: Global contract manufacturer of sterile medical device packaging, including pouches, blisters, and cleanroom assembly. Direct peer offering comparable contract packing and packaging consumables to medical device OEMs across multiple geographies.
• Nelipak Healthcare Packaging: Specialist in sterile barrier packaging, thermoformed trays, and cleanroom-manufactured packaging for medical devices and pharma. Directly comparable as a cleanroom-based medical packaging provider with similar product categories (trays, pouches, lids) and customer base.
• MULTIVAC: German-based global manufacturer of packaging machinery including thermoforming and tray sealing equipment for medical and pharmaceutical applications. Comparable on the equipment side where Riverside competes with Shawpak and MEDIPACKER TS.
• Oliver Healthcare Packaging: US-headquartered global supplier of sterile barrier packaging (pouches, lids, roll stock) and cleanroom contract packaging for medical device and pharmaceutical OEMs. Highly comparable as a directly competing medical packaging contract manufacturer with overlapping product portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Amcor: Global packaging giant with a substantial healthcare and medical packaging division offering sterile pouches, films, and rigid containers. Larger incumbent competing broadly across all of Riverside's product categories with greater scale and geographic reach.
• Tekni-Plex: Global manufacturer of packaging materials and components including medical-grade films, tubing, and sterile barrier products. Comparable as a broader supplier serving medical device and pharmaceutical customers with sterile packaging materials.
• Sealed Air: Major global packaging company with healthcare and medical packaging offerings including sterile barrier systems and protective packaging. Broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities but operating across many non-medical segments as well.

Emerging players

• SencorpWhite: US-based manufacturer of heat-sealing and thermoforming equipment for medical packaging, including blister tray sealers directly comparable to Riverside's MEDIPACKER TS product line.
• GS Medical Packaging: Niche UK/Ireland-based specialist in sterile medical packaging including pouches, reels, and lids. Comparable as a regional contract packaging peer serving overlapping medical device customers in the UK and Irish markets.

Others

• DuPont (Tyvek Healthcare): Supplier of Tyvek, a key substrate used in sterile medical peel pouches and lids that Riverside converts and seals. Comparable as an enabling supplier/ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor — its material is consumed in Riverside's pouch products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/riversidemedpak
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/riverside-medical-packaging-company-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/riversidemedical/?hl=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Riverside