In this week’s Business Insights Chat, Ian Fitch speaks to Mark Ferguson, managing director of Castle Colour Packaging, a specialist packaging manufacturer in Norwich. They produce packaging for well-known brands including Pritt Stick and Eat Natural, among many others. The business has a focus on being the best it can be, while leading in sustainability and recyclable products.
Mark’s insights into lockdown offer a unique perspective in this series, as they were identified as an essential business at the start of the first lockdown. They were able to continue trading, albeit with new safety measures in place for staff, while also having to adapt to new and changing demands for their products. He describes how it was all about feeling safe at work and staying efficient.
Mark reflects on their government COVID spot check, and how the resilience and commitment of his team played a huge part in their successes during the last year. He also explains the measures that the company put in place to aid the wellbeing of the team.
He discusses the opportunities they identified for Research and Development through their work on sustainability; what his personal weaknesses are, and how he strives to make everyone around him better than him; the benefits of having a non-executive director on your board; how promoting from within is good for business; how running a business is like playing a game of rugby; and how experience outside family businesses is key, citing his time as a young man spent working for McDonald’s as a fantastic opportunity to learn about processes and discipline.
Mark’s personal journey, as a man at the top of a key part of the ‘pandemic economy,’ and the success he has had building Castle Colour, make for a fascinating listen.
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