LVF Packaging recently celebrated its 40th anniversary. For the occasion, Daniel Coates, Business Development Director, reflects on how the market has changed over the decades, from clients’ demands to regulatory pressure, and highlights how the company continues to thrive through it all.
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When it comes to packaging success stories, forget small acorns and mighty oaks – think garden sheds and one of the most enduring packaging businesses in the UK instead. Leeds-based LVF Packaging marked its 40th anniversary in 2025, and, as the preamble suggests, it was born in a garden shed in the West Yorkshire city of Leeds.
Harry Coates and his son, Nigel, began the business by building a small vacuum forming machine (on the right) as a project to keep Harry occupied following his retirement from Leeds-based games company John Waddington’s. The first business won was from Waddington’s itself.
40 years later, the business, which was initially known as Leeds Vacuum Formers, is run by Nigel’s son, Daniel. It turns over £9million per annum, and its products can be found on the shelves of virtually every supermarket chain in the UK, plus a plethora of High Street shops.
And that’s very much the reason for talking to LVF, whose decades in the industry can provide interesting insights into how the market has changed over the years, past, current and future trends, along with the challenges packaging manufacturers face in a world where everything is scrutinised to the nth degree.
“I wasn’t even born when my dad and grandad decided to build that first ever thermoforming machine in the garden shed,” said Dan Coates. “But I love that they decided it was a good idea, went ahead, did it, and then somehow persuaded John Waddington’s to award them the production of its board game plastic trays. Whether that would happen today is up for debate, but what does matter is that because it did, a retirement project became a business that today is well into its fifth decade and has a reputation to match its longevity”, he adds.
And what a period the business has overseen. The birth of the internet, digital technology and communications. A virtual reinvention of how new products are developed. New materials, new manufacturing processes, entirely new markets. And a focus on sustainability and green practices that probably never crossed the mind of manufacturers, retailers and consumers back in the mid-1980s.
So, what does Dan feel is the key change that has impacted the industry over the last 40 years?
“That’s pretty easy. Back in the early days (so I’m told), there was a whole load of different materials that were specified by customers and required to be stocked and used by manufacturers. The main ones were PET, PET-G, HIPs and PVC. Their use wasn’t standardised – what one client used PVC for, another would want PET. So, the onus was on businesses like ours to be prepared.”
“PET already stood out from the others at the time, especially in the thermoformed packaging industry, where it was seen as ideal for a multitude of packaging applications, in particular confectionery, due to its impressive levels of rigidity and clarity. When combined with its low production costs, it began to become the material of choice.”
He continues, “When rPET came along, the entire picture changed. PET-G, HIPs and PVC fell completely out of favour. PET was overshadowed by its newer, greener little brother, which at the time had a minimum of 30% post-consumer waste content. Since then, that percentage has grown and grown, and today we offer packaging solutions using rPET with a 100% recycled content for those who want it.”
The pressure on the packaging industry over the last few years to move away from any form of plastic material has been huge, but where are we now? Is there a new kid about to emerge on the block?
“There’s been a lot of time and money spent looking for alternative materials, which will deliver all the benefits of rPET, but with none of the perceived drawbacks of plastic. The truth, though, is that we’re no closer to finding one, and that’s because plastic is still the only viable option. And with proper recycling streams developed and used, then it will overcome the stigma that’s been attached to it for the last ten to fifteen years.”
What else should we be looking out for in the packaging world over the next few years?
“Because of the Plastic Tax, customers want to protect profits by reducing the weight and size of packaging manufactured for them. This desire to take the weight out of everything will lead to a significant change in how packs look. The compressed mince packs we see in many supermarkets could well be the shape of the future, although a lot of customers seem to dislike the look and feel of them, which may send packaging manufacturers scurrying back to the drawing board.”
And what of LVF itself?
“There have been two big game changers for us over the last 40 years. In the early noughties, we got BRC Accreditation for the first time, which opened an entire new market to us. Then, around 2010, we brought product development in-house, cutting associated costs and putting the timescale of new product creation and sales firmly in our own hands.”
“Both of these helped turn us from a small business to one that could begin to look big, but we did it in a way that didn’t sacrifice our key, founding principle – caring for our customer through the delivery of high-quality products, which will always be supplied on time. And, of course, we will also always compete on price.”
Dan concludes, “Looking at 2026 and beyond, I firmly believe that the quality of the service we provide as a business will always be the most important element of what our customers look for. A supplier needs to be reliable, and we have 40 years of being the most reliable packaging manufacturer under our belts.”
And for those wondering what comes next after a 40th anniversary year – the answer seems clear. LVF Packaging will keep being competitive, forward-thinking, green-focused and always on time.