R. West & Son in 2024
As we near the end of 2024 and the holiday season approaches, R. West & Son reflects on a busy year of providing packaging solutions for over a century. Here’s our end of year round-up for 2024, highlighting some key events that have shaped our journey this year.
Our Commitment to Safety
Throughout the year, we have undergone Fire Warden training and received a Fire Risk Assessment from Greenlight Safety & Training. Ciarin and Callum also spent three days at St John’s Ambulance for their ‘Emergency First Aid at Work’ training. They both really enjoyed the experience and were pleasantly surprised by the level of detail covered in the training.
We also had a Health and Safety Audit with Greenlight. As a company, we have worked hard during our relocation to improve the environment and working conditions for our team. We were assessed on 19 elements, of which 10 met the ‘industry best practice’ standard. The remaining elements were compliant, with only one minor improvement required. One can only imagine what the score would have been at our old site!
Receiving the following email from Chris, who has been instrumental in facilitating these changes, was greatly appreciated:
“Hi Jason,
As Promised, Please Find attached the site inspection for 27 March 2024 with an overall score of 90.83%.
I would like to commend the diligent efforts and the nurturing of a positive health and safety culture evident at R West and Son Ltd. Your commitment to ongoing improvement, as reflected in the audit score, is truly commendable. With the persistent focus on safety at R West and Son Ltd, I believe you can surpass this and that you possess the potential to become trailblazers in setting new benchmarks for safety practices in your sector.
Chris
Lead Consultant”
Inspections from the Prime Minister
In February of this year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was at one of our customer’s locations, where he personally inspected several of our packing cases. This was an exciting day for us! This visit highlights the quality of our products, whilst underscoring our commitment to excellence in serving our clients.
Celebrating Our Anniversary
After an incredibly busy week at our factory in March, we took a well-deserved moment to celebrate our first anniversary of relocating and starting production at Richmond Walk – complete with cake, of course! We are incredibly proud of our achievements from the past year.
Break Room Improvements
Recently, we commissioned Mrs Murals to transform our break room with a stunning mural. This artwork subtly incorporates elements of our business’s history, as well as our logo, which reflects the emotional family legacy behind our company. We absolutely love the final result; it has added a vibrant splash of colour and joy to our break room, featuring beautiful trees and wildlife.
Minimising Our Carbon Footprint
At our facility, we proudly utilise a Talbott’s T150 Biomass Heater to efficiently burn the majority of our wood waste while keeping our factory warm. This sustainable practice not only minimises waste transportation but also entirely eliminates the need for gas or electricity for heating. By doing so, we significantly reduce our carbon footprint, strengthening our commitment to environmentally responsible operations.
Sponsorships
We were extremely proud to be the Main Event Sponsors of the Light Up Plympton Christmas Fayre. The event featured the official switch-on of the Christmas Lights, a main stage with live music and entertainment, and a dance stage with a variety of performances.
Our Wooden Packaging Solutions
At R. West & Son, we provide a wide range of packaging solutions, including Wooden Crates & Packing Cases, Timber Packaging Solutions, Export Packing, Export Packaging Services, and Wooden Pallets. As members of the UKWPMMP and TIMCON, and with full ISPM15 compliance, you can trust us to deliver quality and reliability in our packaging solutions. In addition, we undergo bi-annual audits to guarantee that we consistently meet the highest industry standards.
We proudly serve across the UK and worldwide, including but not limited to Plymouth, Exeter, Tiverton, Taunton, Bodmin, Truro, Bristol, Bath, Penzance, Launceston, Bridgwater, and Weston Super-Mare.
If you need any of the services mentioned above, please do not hesitate to contact us either by phone on 01752 664345 or through the contact form on our website.
Holiday Wishes
As the festive season is just around the corner, we would like to extend our warm wishes to all our past and present customers. We truly appreciate your support and hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thank you for an incredible year, and here’s to ongoing success in 2025!
R. West & Son: Wood Packaging Experts
Founded in 1910 and located in Plymouth, R. West & Son are leaders in packaging services and timber packaging expertise. With a wealth of history spanning over a century, our family-owned business has developed into one of the foremost manufacturers of custom wooden pallets, packing crates, and packing cases – each carefully designed and built in-house.
We specialise in delivering a comprehensive timber and plywood packaging service, catering to both UK delivery and global export requirements. Our end-to-end service ensures that you can relax, knowing your packaging needs are in good hands. What sets us apart is our flexibility; regardless of the item size, we can produce small batches and low volumes, in addition to large-scale items, which distinguishes us from competitors in the packaging services industry.
Additionally, we foster strong partnerships with select hauliers and shipping companies, allowing us to excel in coordinating transportation for goods across the UK, Europe, and beyond. We are dedicated to offering a streamlined and simplified service, ensuring the best possible experience for our valued customers.