Founded in 1946, Farrow & Ball have a rich history for providing high quality wallpaper and paint. They have 29 showrooms across the UK, with several throughout Europe and North America, and the company prides itself on delivering the finest products on the market.
They even offer a Colour Consultancy service, giving customers expert advice in their homes, and have been enlisted to restore a number of National Trust properties with colours that are sympathetic to their eras.
With such a prestigious brand, it’s essential to give customers the very best first impression. Enter, Westbury Packaging.
Personal service
“Westbury have been one of our suppliers for 15 years, providing the secondary packaging for goods in transit,” explains Nigel Monks, Senior Planner at Farrow & Ball. “Initially, it was just cardboard boxes, but now they look after everything from printed labels to shrink-wraps and bags.”
“Our philosophy is that we sell with the eye; if customers see we take care providing good quality boxes, they’ll feel reassured that the product is as good as the preparation. The box is really our first chance to give them a good experience, so it’s important to deliver that element of prestige.
“I love working with Westbury because they’re very versatile and are open to change; if we ever need new designs, they’ll get test boxes to us at the drop of a hat, usually within one or two days. Because of their size, they offer a very personal service and can respond immediately, whereas others might not deliver for weeks.
Commitment
Westbury Packaging understands the importance of offering a flexible service, and as such we strive to help our customers innovate and improve. Nigel continues: “One of my tasks years ago was to find a box that would prevent damage to tins of paint, so I sketched an idea, Ben from Westbury took it away, and we were really happy with the results. However, a couple of years later we challenged other companies to come up with something even better – we were prepared to give them our business, but nobody could beat Westbury.
“We also introduced end-caps to protect the top and bottom of paint tins, and were considering an American design, but Ben actually created a version that allowed for two different sizes in one. This works extremely well and it saved us a lot of money, as it meant we only required one set of tooling instead of two.
“They also supply the tailor-made boxes we use for picking and storing in the warehouse; I wanted to reduce our pallet size to create space for additional picking bays, and Westbury produced the bespoke heavy duty boxes we need when transporting packaging from one end of the warehouse to the other. These are reusable – it’s all about saving money – and it’s another great example of their commitment to us.”
Not just business
At Westbury Packaging, we look to build great working relationships with our clients, and think of ourselves as partners rather than merely suppliers. Nigel comments: “In the past, we’ve had instances where we are under pressure, but we know we can pick up the phone and Westbury will get boxes to us straight away, even on the same day if necessary. They’ve got such a quick turnaround and are happy to go that extra mile.
“I’ve worked in very large companies for a long time, and I’ve never come across people that are so truthfully helpful – it’s not just business to them, they really want to help.”
If you’d like more information about our bespoke packaging design, manufacturing and storage options, please contact us today.