PLASTIPACK - from swimming pools to reservoirs

Managing director, Peter Adlington joined one of the first Profitnet groups when the programme began in 2004. The group appealed to Peter because the members were likeminded people, all at different stages of development with their different-sized businesses, but encountering remarkably similar issues.

At the time, Peter was wrestling with three new product ideas that were in development. The company had taken them as far as it could, but didn’t have the specialist expertise needed to get them to market. Also, Peter had heard about funded programmes available to industry through universities, but didn’t think this type of collaboration would be suitable for him.

”I wasn’t confident about going down that route” he said, “but the Profitnet group gave me a kick to do something about it”.

Peter stresses that the group is not confrontational as everyone is very supportive, with a candid openness that builds over time, and most importantly, confidentiality is a given. But they helped him to focus on important issues such as water saving, solar energy, product life cycle and heat retention. The company had practical knowledge in these areas, but it needed systematic and technically validated data to support its marketing strategy.

The company embarked on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University of Brighton. This is a government-funded programme whereby a graduate associate works on a project that is strategically important to the company, with the support of senior academics at the university. A series of tests were carried out at Plastipack’s facility to characterise the heat retention, solar gain and water evaporation properties of the coverings materials. Testing tanks, heat measurement probes and a weather station were all set up to enable the materials to be monitored. They were also subjected to accelerated ultraviolet ageing tests in the university’s QUV age accelerating machine. The project was so successful that three new patented and trademarked products were created as a result.

During 2008 Plastipack launched: Energy Guard which inhibits the growth of algae, saves electrical costs and absorbs the sun’s heat; Cool Guard which gives the same energy-saving benefits but also reflects sun’s heat to keep the pool cool and Sol+Guard which allows maximum solar gain. These new products have helped to position the company as a leading innovator in the sector. The company has also benefited from many other sources of assistance including the University of Brighton’s Product Development Centre in Hastings which has provided help with design and rapid prototyping for Plastipack’s new products, the Manufacturing Advisory Service, National Physical Laboratory, and the Innovation Advisory service, all introduced as a result of Profitnet. “These organisations have given us access to a wealth of resources similar to those available to multinationals” says Peter.

The company has now started a second Knowledge Transfer Partnership to address new techniques for reliably joining the coverings materials on remote sites. This will give the capability to make sheets large enough for covering vast expanses of water, such as reservoirs. Despite the recession, the company is performing very successfully with first quarter turnover 9 per cent ahead of last year, and April 2009 the best month in Plastipack’s history. “This wouldn’t have been the case without Profitnet and the contacts it brought” says Peter, “Innovation is key to survival and you don’t do it alone.” Peter thinks that Profitnet has played an important part in the success of the business as it has been the catalyst for so many things which together, have driven everyone in the company forward in terms of their outlook, training, and focus on world class products.

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