We can’t quite believe it, but we are celebrating 40 years in business this month!

It was on 1^st October 1985 that John and Susan Walters started the business operating from Meadow Mill Industrial Estate in Stockport.

The 3000 sq ft site was set up with the classic sheet plant start up at that time, a slitter scorer, a beam slotter and a hand stitcher.

As the business grew larger premises were required and in 1989 the business moved to Newby Road Industrial Estate almost tripling the space to 11,5000 sq ft. There was much excitement when a brand new one colour printer slotter arrived!

By 2001, we moved again, just down the road on the same industrial estate to a 25,500 sq ft site.

In 2005, John and Sue decided it was time to move on and sold the business and watched from afar as the new owners perhaps didn’t take care of it as well as the Walters family might have hoped. So, in 2008 they bought the business back and stayed on for a while to get it back up and running.

Ian Walters and Sharon Garner, son and daughter of John and Sue, had been with the business for several years and together with Katie Whitehead, they became owners and directors and successfully ran the business until it was acquired by Logson Group in April 2022.

Despite the change in ownership, Ian, Sharon and Katie carried on running the business with Sharon retiring from the business in springtime 2025.

At this time, a new Managing Director was appointed and Stuart Clarke, took the business under his wing alongside Boxes and Packaging (Manchester).

Ian retained his role as Production Director and Katie hers as Sales Director, ideally positioning the business for the future.

Stuart Clarke commented; “Red Rose has had a great history, and I am proud to be at it’s helm as we celebrate 40 years in business.

“The business has been really well known in the Manchester area for decades and we’re proud to supply many Manchester based businesses with a wide range of corrugated packaging.”

Today, Red Rose Packaging is a well-equipped site that manufacturers a range of packaging from transit cases to point of sale packaging.

Ian Walters added; “I have worked in the business since May 1993 and the way the industry, the business and the world has changed is huge.

“Technology has had such a significant impact on every part of our operations and how customers approach packaging is also very different to how it was in the nineties.

“I’m looking forward to many more years here in the business and playing a part in its future development.”