Established in 1850 with a focus on collecting, cleaning and recycling used bottles to sell on to wine merchants, Rawlings today has grown into the UK's leading independent glass specialist. Rawlings designs, sources and supplies glass packaging suitable for the food and beverage industry. From the old-school bottles of Lucozade used in the 1980’s to the new embossing and printing techniques used by companies today fighting for consumer attention, Rawlings works tirelessly to develop the best product packaging for brands.

Based in Bristol, Rawlings remains an independent, family-run business, providing expertise and support to a variety of well-known, national brands.  Here, one of Rawlings’ Technical Account Managers, Alan Illsley, talks about the success of the company and its expansion into the pharmaceutical and cosmetic glass markets.  

Rawlings has grown organically over the past 150 years, primarily through enthusiastic referral. This strong foundation for growth and a dedicated team with an average service of 13 years means Rawlings has an ideal platform for augmentation in 2015.

Alan reports that, “Rawlings is excited to announce our expansion into the pharmaceutical and cosmetic glass markets. We aim to stock glass with a quality driven and price conscious ethos. In preparation, we have significantly grown our supplier base to provide an expansive portfolio, whilst still maintaining our ability to provide bespoke product development”.  

The pharmaceutical and cosmetic ranges include but are not limited to: clear, amber, blue and green glass dropper bottles, medical round bottles, Boston round bottles, powder jars, squat jars, medicine liquid bottles, and a plethora of shaped cosmetic bottles in various sizes, as well as a vast array of caps, closures and pumps. In order to accommodate its ever-expanding range of stocked products, Rawlings is also investing in new warehousing in 2015.

Alan explains the company’s intentions of expanding into the pharmaceutical and cosmetics markets: “Our background, level of expertise and infrastructure in the food and beverage glass market is an ideal springboard to diversify. Coupled with the investment in training and recruitment specific to this industry allows us to deliver the same high level service.”

Strength from independence

Alan is quick to draw attention to the significance of Rawlings’ independence. He remarks, “We pride ourselves on providing bespoke solutions at competitive prices, and being truly independent allows us to cherry pick the right manufacturer for every customer no matter what their requirement.”  Consequently, Rawlings is able to offer a flexible service to its customers, who range from micro- and small-scale breweries or food producers through to national brands such as Westons Cider. In 2014, Rawlings created an e-commerce website specifically catering to those interested in boxed quantities of glass, shop.rawlingsbristol.co.uk.    

The latest techniques and products

Rawlings understands that shelf presence is vital for its customers and is dedicated to invest in the latest manufacturing and design techniques.

Alan points out, “Our most recent innovations focus on decoration options, such as improved embossing and manufacturing techniques to produce increasingly sharp, yet environmentally friendly products. We can advise on every aspect of container design, production sourcing and consulting, guiding you through every step of the process.” As an example, for customer Wild Beer, Rawlings sourced a high quality 330ml Vichy bottle and worked with its screen printing partner to produce a vivid and unique, sleek bottle design.

A clear future

With its core customer base in the UK, Rawlings also supports customers and suppliers globally. With such a strong foothold in its current markets, Rawlings is keen to use its experience and expert knowledge to diversify and invest further in emerging markets.    

Alan comments, “We aim to stay one step ahead of the curve. We welcome enquiries for different concepts with glass, and always investigate new projects that come our way to check their possibility.”

Rawlings has seen excellent growth within the past six months, and Alan expects this level of growth to continue with the diversification into the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

On the 25th and 26th of February this year, Rawlings will officially launch its new pharmaceutical and cosmetic ranges at the UK’s leading packaging event, Packaging Innovations, held at Birmingham’s NEC.

To see how Rawlings can help with pharmaceutical or cosmetic packaging requirements, please visit them at stand E52.