Rutland Plastics has recently celebrated its 70th anniversary, so Steve Ayre, Managing Director, took the opportunity to discuss this huge milestone and what it means for the company’s future.
rutland plastics
70 years and still going strong (perhaps stronger than ever), Rutland Plastics’ incredible milestone means greater things are on the way. When asked what it feels like, Steve says, “It’s a real achievement, especially given the difficulties that British manufacturing has faced over the past few years, from Brexit and COVID-19 to energy prices and current UK and USA political decisions. Every year presents a new challenge, but we must continue to do the right thing for the business and control what we can.”
The company went from moulding plastic flowers and accessories for budgerigars during the 1950s to developing its own-brand toys – the Rutland. Steve explains, “Expansion started to pick up in the 70s with contracts for a Swedish kitchen manufacturer and British Gas. The 80s saw further work with gas pipe fittings and the first electrofusion patent, along with gaining ISO9001 accreditation in 1989, while the 90s saw a focus on people and technology with the award of Investors in People and a license to assess and award NVQs alongside the first 3D CAD system, CMM machine and Gas Assisted injection moulding technology.”
In the 21st century, the company redeveloped its site, incorporating Moldex 3D software and adding ISO 14001 and ISO 13485 to its accreditations. “The redevelopment included several sustainability initiatives, most notably a 250kWh solar installation on the warehouse roof and a cloud-based ERP system that provides a real-time energy monitoring and reporting system for all 30 moulding machines. We’ve invested over £5 million in new energy-efficient moulding machines and toolroom equipment in the past five years, with the average age of our machines less than nine years old”, he notes.
With the industry constantly shaped by shifting trends, remaining competitive may prove difficult, but the team has a solution. “We’ve reinvested profits back into the company to ensure that the business has a sound operating base for the future, our employees and our community. We’ve always been keen on adopting new technologies and embarked on our journey into Industry 4.0 many years ago, which has significantly improved our operational efficiency.”
Being a family business plays a part in tackling these shifting trends head-on, as Steve suggests, “We aren’t bound by typical shareholder expectations, meaning we can plan for the next generation and not just the next financial year, allowing us to make decisions quickly.”
The company isn’t only a family-owned business, but a business of families, currently in its third generation. Many of our colleagues have family members who also work within the business. In fact, another 4th-generation Rutland Plastics baby was born this week!
2026 means bigger things for Rutland Plastics, starting from its biggest investment to date: the ENGEL’s 2,400 tonne IMM. When asked about the importance of partnerships, Steve says, “Our strapline is ‘right people, right partner’. We’ve worked with some of our customers for decades, and they see us as an extension of their team.” What does the future hold? “We have a couple of celebrations planned with our colleagues and their families, and a few exciting projects with new and existing customers, so really it’s just more of the same for our anniversary year,” Steve concludes.