The Corrugated Case Company was founded in 1996 by owner directors Tony Hession, Mark Wilcockson and Byron Teague. It went on to became one of the UK’s leading specialists in the design and manufacture of corrugated packaging products.
All three directors had a long track record in the industry and believed there were significant opportunities for a business in the low-to-medium volume sector. After a 12-month search for suitable premises and purchasing over £1.2m worth of plant and machinery, the business started trading in July 1997.
Early in its growth journey, the company started working with BHP. Over the intervening period, spanning almost 30 years, the business has worked closely with the independent accountancy firm and received support which helped it go from the verge of insolvency to expansion with significant capital expenditure projects. The relationship eventually culminated in the sale of the business to the Rengo Group in 2022, when it was rebranded as Tri-Wall Chesterfield.
On our side
BHP was initially appointed to support the Corrugated Case Company with financial advice and expertise that would support its growth and ambitions.
The firm, however, proved to be more than just accountants for former owner director Tony Hession, who noted that BHP “was always on our side, being supportive and offering sage advice”. This was the case through the good times, but more importantly through the bad times too.
He said: “There were instances when the company experienced extremely challenging trading periods, such as the 2008 financial crash. During this time, the support and guidance that we received from the various BHP teams was invaluable to us and contributed to the company ultimately coming out the other side with a stronger, more resilient business with a platform for growth.”
Continuing support
The 2008 financial crash wasn’t the only time BHP proactively intervened to support the business owners. BHP, through its M&A specialists at Translink Corporate Finance UK, also played a critical role in the sale of the Corrugated Case Company to the Rengo Group in 2022.
“Selling a company is inevitably a stressful period and demands a lot of additional effort and attention,” says Tony. “This is in addition to the day-to-day running of the business alongside the usual emotional baggage. The team at Translink Corporate Finance were exceptional throughout the period, which spanned just over 12 months.
“Their expertise, diligence and, above all, excellent communication levels we received from the team helped to make this period as easy and straightforward as it could have been.
“Even the multi-national Japanese company that acquired us (The Rengo Group) and their advisors were very complimentary about Translink. That says a lot about their handling of what is a very difficult and often emotional process.”
Long-lasting relationships
Since the Corrugated Case Company was acquired, both Tony and Mark Wilcockson have retained the services of BHP as both their tax and financial advisors.
Tony added: “As well as being excellent in their field, we have had a relationship for more than 20 years. The people at BHP know us well and understand our values and our comfort levels with exposure to risk in terms of our investments. We both value that expertise and insight.”
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