UK and Asia based specialty-packaging supplier Parkside continues to build its strong technical innovation skills and technology portfolio with an investment in a state of the art New Product Development Suite and laboratory facility, at its Normanton, West Yorkshire headquarters.

Parkside is fast becoming a leading edge designer of flexible packaging solutions and is diversifying from the heart of its business. Probably best known for its tobacco packaging capabilities in the past, the company is now moving to a clear position as a speciality-packaging provider for the broader FMCG marketplace.

To drive the repositioning, the company has invested in the new facilities to allow customers and partners to visit the company to collaborate on new pack and product launch concepts, with their aptly named ‘Advanced Packaging Expert’ (APEX) Innovation team. It is a contemporary creative space, with the latest white board, video and projection capability to aid the flow of ideas.

However, the real thinking behind the investment is to allow the ideation process to come to life in the same environment. Investment in a fully equipped laboratory with in-house reprographics support, pack testing, prototyping and digital printing capability, enables the APEX team to move from concept to sample, while customers are still on site.

Steve McCormick, Parkside NPD Director, said: “The APEX innovation team manages projects from concept to consumer, delivering fresh thinking innovation and development with speed to market front of mind. This new facility is incredibly important to us being able to demonstrate our capabilities with our customers and those brands that have visited us already have been very impressed with the approach that we’ve taken.”