PS9000:2001 for Benson Group Newcastle

April 2010

Benson Group, one of the UK's leading privately owned carton printers, with headquarters in Bardon, Leicestershire, has announced that it has gained PS9000:2001 certification in pharmaceutical packaging quality standards for its Benson Group Newcastle packaging plant.

In achieving this standard, as outlined by the Pharmaceutical Quality Group (PQG) of the Institute of Quality Assurance (IQA), Benson Group Newcastle expects to be able to take advantage of its lower cost base for long run work.

Commenting on the achievement, Mark Kerridge, Managing Director of Benson Group, said: "We are delighted to have met the standards required by PS9000:2001 at Newcastle. This accreditation means that we are now able to offer customers additional assurances with regard to security of supply. To be able to offer a "within-group" disaster recovery plan also provides specific benefits to customers with regard to confidentiality."

"With three B1-format presses on hand, Benson Group Newcastle has plenty of printing capability for long-run pharma production, and the plant is also very well equipped with regard to volume finishing applications."

The news follows the recent announcement regarding the installation of Europe's first Komori Lithrone SX40 press at the company's nearby Gateshead plant. The installation included the upgrading of other Komori presses in the two North East facilities.

The Pharmaceutical Quality Group (PQG) of the Institute of Quality Assurance (IQA) has developed PS9000:2001 with the aim of providing a widely accepted framework of best practice within the pharmaceutical packaging supply industry. It applies ISO9001:2000 to pharmaceutical print and contact packaging materials.

PS9000:2001 is based on and replaces the two separate IQA/PQG Pharmaceutical Supplier Codes of Practice (CoP) for contact and printed packaging materials. These Codes of Practice were first issued in 1990 and subsequently revised in 1995.

Benson Group is one of the UK's leading privately owned printed carton suppliers, producing packaging solutions for both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Headquarters are in Bardon, Leicestershire, where the company owns 130,000 sq ft of production and warehouse space. Benson Group achieves annual sales in excess of £93 million. Food manufacturers are the main customers at Bardon and for the company's two North East facilities in Newcastle and Gateshead. These two sites have a combined total of 200,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space. The fourth site in Crewe, Medica Packaging, serves pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It has 73,000 sq ft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space. Since 2000, investment in new plant and equipment across the four sites totals in excess of £25 million.

Benson Group creates packaging for many well-known companies, brands and retailers. Key account clients across the Group include GlaxoSmithKline, Northern Foods, Reckitt Benkiser, Greencore, Bakkavör, Samworth Brothers, and leading supermarket chains.

For further information on the Benson Group visit the www.bensongroup.co.uk web site.

For further information on Benson Group, its operations, or on packaging products or packaging issues please contact:

Russell J Hicks
Genesis Marketing Services (Milton Keynes)
29 Foxholes Close, Deanshanger, Northamptonshire MK19 6HA
Tel/Fax: 01908 260 662 Mobile: 07885 852 428
e-mail: Russ.Hicks@Genesis-Marketing.com