If you’re interested in the background of Croxsons, then you’re in the right place! Scroll across to view our family history, and scroll down to see the heritage of the company, complete with a timeline of key events.
Where it all began. William Croxson established his wholesale bottle merchant business in London and we haven’t looked back since.
Here we began not only cleaning bottles, but also buying in virgin glass. We were buying from a company called Rockware. They’re now Ardagh Glass - and we’re still dealing with them today.
First export on records. Randolph Croxson sailed to New Zealand representing England in a sports game (unknown but likely ice skating or snooker), and saw the bottles on the quayside upon arrival. It took about 8 weeks to get there; now it takes about 24 hours.
Glass-making pioneer Henry W. Ingle creates the first IS (individual section) machine. A new automation standard.
At this stage we had over 60 staff in Bermondsey. Modern machinery meant we had to reduce it to about 30. We still have one piece of that machinery working today.
Our first jars sold - one pallet into the back of a Volvo Estate. This client is now buying over 40m jars!
Croxsons bought Alpha Place – our current HQ - in June 1985.
We first started buying from Japan.
Our first very big UK deal, topping over 100 million bottles. We also started buying in the Far East.
Next, the Middle East. We first started buying here.
Quinn Glass (now Encirc) started a new factory in Derrylin, Ireland and we ordered our first moulds from them before manufacturing commenced. We still buy those bottles – around 200 million in total.
New millennium, new face. The year that Tim joined us.
About 15 years ago we hit 150m bottles for a global customer. The purchasing was done in New Zealand - probably the biggest deal done outside of the UK.
When we rebranded. Fresh look, fresh sales.
We first started buying from China.
Our new positioning statement ‘ A Family of packaging’, references both our unbeatable range of products and the fact that our highly-valued customers are part of our extended family.
The Croxsons logo has been brought up-to-date with a contemporary typeface and new green colour. This has been complemented with the William Croxson signature as a sign of approval.
Croxsons win a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, recognised for its excellence in international trade, which saw the firm return continuous growth in overseas sales for the past six years.
