Meet Katie

For almost forty years, Red Rose Packaging has been providing bespoke packaging for its clients, having built their business on long-standing, trusted partnerships. When it was time to plan for the future ambitions and stability of the business, Katie Whitehead and her fellow directors turned to HURST’s Corporate Finance team to help secure the sale that suited their culture and ambitions for the future.

We’re a family business at heart, and I think there are a lot of traditional family values behind our success too. Our average client partnership is around 12-years, and we pride ourselves on providing a top quality product, first class service with open and honest relationships, working with many of the leading manufacturers across the North West.

Our manufacturing process is pretty simple. We buy-in corrugated card and convert that raw material into bespoke packaging for our customers and if we can, designing-out anything that’s not environmentally friendly. We can cater to briefs from the ultra-bespoke and complex design,to things that are really quite simple – but whatever the project, all our clients know that they can trust us. And this is what we work towards.

Although the business had always been very healthy, it was actually the Covid-19 pandemic that made us question our future direction. 2021 brought some significant raw material shortages, and suddenly the lifeblood of our business – the supply of the corrugated card – was in doubt, and we realised just how vulnerable we were as a small independent business. Because it put all those trusted partnerships in jeopardy.

We worked closely throughout the crisis with all our suppliers and clients to ensure we didn’t let anyone down and I’d say we came out of it stronger. But that feeling of vulnerability remained, and ultimately it was the reason behind our decision to sell. We felt it was in the best interests of our business, our team, and our clients … but only if we secured the right deal.

That’s where HURST came in. I must admit, I hadn’t worked with them previously, but when we asked two trusted partners for their Corporate Finance recommendations, they both – totally independently – recommended HURST without hesitation. So what could have been quite a difficult decision proved to be very simple in the end!

It’s not often you sell a business, and as directors, this was certainly our first (and probably last) time. So ultimately we were looking to work with people we liked and trusted – and both Ben and Nigel from HURST felt like a natural fit.

"HURST were a trustworthy, calm and unflappable partner, they guided us brilliantly throughout quite a daunting and unfamiliar process"

We actually had a preferred buyer in mind from the very beginning… they were a trusted supplier but also matched our culture, and we were confident they would allow the business to continue running as an independent entity within the wider group. Although HURST were incredibly diligent in preparing the Information Memorandum and preparing us for sale, they also took the time to understand our personal aspirations and motivations in terms of a preferred buyer.

Although it was quite a complex sale that took around a year to complete, I’m pleased to say that Ben, Nigel and the wider team at HURST delivered the result we wanted all along, and we’re proud that Red Rose Packaging is now part of the Logson Group.

Although the sale involved the inevitable stresses and strains, I’d say they were a trustworthy, calm and unflappable partner, they guided us brilliantly throughout quite a daunting and unfamiliar process. Although it was quite a short relationship in the grand scheme of things, it was a strong one and also completely positive.

I knew the ‘HURST in three words’ question would be coming, so I actually chatted to my co-director Sharon to get her views. She said ‘approachable, committed and proactive’. I certainly agree with all those things, although I’ve included my own three words below… which almost makes them sound like doctors or therapists, which I suppose might be quite fitting in some ways!

---

HURST in three words: Patient. Calm. Trusted.

To find out more about Red Rose Packaging, and the range of bespoke packaging solutions they create for a diverse and growing client base, visit www.redrosepackaging.com