SUTTON IN ASHFIELD, Nottinghamshire UK, January 25, 2011 – With 15 percent sales growth in 2010 and projections for another year of double-digit growth in 2011, R&D/Leverage – UK announced the addition of two new sales account managers, Craig Carrington and Magdalena Villate, to handle customers in northern and central Europe, respectively, Alan Tolley, the firm’s Managing Director, announced today.

According to Tolley, the company’s integrated, plastic packaging solutions and range of technical and engineering capabilities for ISBM tooling - continues to attract companies throughout Europe, Russia and the Middle East.  Carrington and Villate, he notes, have specific language expertise that will prove an asset in Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and more, adding to the company’s proficiency in Spanish, French, German Italian and Portuguese.

“The European market has been quite vibrant for us, and the time was right to add to our talented sales management team, with industry professionals who possess regional language expertise,” Tolley said.  “In addition to our growing sales team, we’ve added new equipment, expanded our manufacturing capacity 30 percent -- and continue to set sales records and win new assignments.”

The company’s pan-European appeal derives from its innovative solutions and world-class customer service that includes technical knowledge, manufacturing, moulding and after-sales capabilities, Tolley said.   “Our people, our technology and our engineering ability – combined with our physical growth – continues to open new opportunities for our customers, in the UK, continental Europe and beyond,” Tolley said.   “Working in partnership with customers, we have the resources to provide the sales, technical, manufacturing and after- sales support required in today’s marketplace,” Tolley said.

Additionally, Tolley noted the accelerated popularity of PET products, versus glass, thanks to internal imperatives set forth by multinational firms, higher quality than ever and the growing consumer appeal of the material’s eco-friendly benefits.

R&D/Leverage – UK continues to market its capabilities to its multinational customer base, and will exhibit at the upcoming Interpack Exhibition in May and PETpoint exhibition in November.

ABOUT R&D/LEVERAGE 

R&D, Integrated Solutions in Plastics, is recognized as one of the world’s leading suppliers of tooling for the food, beverage, home, personal care and healthcare industries.  With offices in the United States and in the United Kingdom, R&D is a full-service plastic product solutions company.  From idea, to tooling, to manufacturing, the company’s packaging solutions support the branded product.  Services include full mould manufacturing for PET tooling, IBM tooling, injection molds and a full range of support functions that include sampling analysis, mold maintenance, contract molding and processing assistance.

Leverage, Integrated Industrial Design, is R&D’s full service consumer packaging design component, located in a separate facility within the R&D campus.  Leverage’s four-pronged range of services includes upfront research (retail audits, trend and color study, ethnographic research, consumer brainstorming); concept development (story boards, feasibility studies, digital prototyping, graphic design and branding); validation (online design, model making) and implementation (prototype moulds, mould sampling and low-volume production).