After 11 years at Fastbox, and 28 years in the cardboard packaging industry John Doran, better known to his customers as Dr Box, has decided to retire and spend more time with his family.  John has been an asset to Fastbox and has played a significant role in its growth and development over the past 10 years.  John will be sorely missed both by his loyal customer base and by his colleagues who have this to say…

“I can still remember the day John walked into our offices at Climax Works 11 years ago, seeking a job.  At the time Fastbox was run by family members but we knew we needed help to progress the company.  So on 2^nd June 2008 John started work for Fastbox Ltd.  John has been a huge instrumental part in the success of the company from the moment he started. John is a larger than life character, a ‘’ one off ‘’ as they say.  My gratitude to him for all his endeavours, commitment and success is immeasurable. 
What his customers and colleagues have to say about him is a true testament to the man.  I thank him for everything and wish him all the best in his retirement”  Jonathan Fuller 

“I have had the absolute pleasure of working alongside John for 10 years and known him for nearly 20 years.  Over your working life you meet people that you look up to and who leave a lasting memory on you, and even on rare occasions you meet people that you can describe as a legend.   John is definitely one of those people, and the influence that he has had on my time in the industry cannot be understated.  I wish him many years of happiness in his retirement and will miss him dearly”  Mark Jeffs  

“I have known John all my packaging career, as a supplier for 10 years and a dear colleague for the past 4.  You don’t meet many people in this life that you can truly call your friend but John is definitely one of them and I will miss him terribly.  John is a true legend and I wish him all the happiness he deserves in his retirement” Sarah Bird

“There was never a dull day in the office working with John. He is truly one of a kind and I am absolutely honoured to have known him for 8 years as a colleague and friend. John has left lasting footprints at Fastbox not only for the  work he has done but also just by being John D. He may be retiring from the industry, but I am sure his name will be mentioned and recognised  in the stories that people tell each other! I wish all the happiness to John in his retirement”  Liene Basko

Fastbox Brexit update October 2018                                                        

There continues to be uncertainty over the impact of the UK’s impending exit from The European Union despite fervent negotiation and pressure from business for definitive answers.  It is increasingly likely that there will be a “no-deal” and the Industry subsequently has to review the implications of working to WTO terms.  As a convertor of cardboard we have assessed the following points and how it may affect Fastbox and our manufacturing process.

Continuity and Supply of boxes

Although some papers are imported from Europe, especially Kraft virgin fibre papers, which may be affected by border controls and delays in the supply chain, a proportion of Paper is sourced from UK Mills, or non-European countries.  Therefore our key UK Board suppliers are confident that the effects of supply of paper and board into the UK will be limited and they are looking at increasing the stock pile of papers in their UK plants to ensure there are sufficient stocks.

Price

Although there are no definitive answers forthcoming, the Price of Paper and Cardboard is likely to increase due to the possible introduction of trade tariffs, increased input costs on commodities related to paper and board making, foreign currency movements and effects to the supply chain.

Lead-times

The effect on lead-time should be minimal due to the contingency plans of our key board suppliers.  Fastbox will, as always, carry a range of stock boards for any urgent requirements.

Summary

Whilst negotiations continue and uncertainty remains there can be no conclusive answers on the specifics at this stage.  Our key material suppliers are members of the Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI) who are proactive in lobbying government to quantify the negotiation progress and obtain the best deal for the interests of our Industry.  We will update the situation as and when we have a better picture of the actual final outcome.

2018 will be Fastbox’s 21^st year of corrugated box manufacturing.  Established in 1997 Fastbox was set up primarily to service the fast turnaround “Just in time” sector but through continued growth and significant investment we have evolved into a versatile reliable manufacturer capable of making almost anything from corrugated cardboard and all manufactured from our 51’000sq ft. Leeds site.

Class 2 licence

Fastbox driver Joanne Harris has successfully passed her Class 2 driving test and will now be seen driving the 18T vehicle.  This enables Fastbox to get more pallets out per delivery and means that we almost all deliveries within 100 miles radius are done on Fastbox vehicles by Fastbox drivers.