About McLaren Tubes

Our capabilities in creating paper-based tubes began back in 2006, a strategic step taken to allow us to meet the evolving needs of our customers. From the early days of round tubes we soon developed the skills and expertise required to create unique shaped tubes to help brands further elevate their shelf standout. We now offer a range of shapes and styles, both off the shelf and bespoke.

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The story of McLaren Packaging

The McLaren Packaging story started with the vision of Jim McLaren and continues today, with the second generation, as a strong family of businesses which are 'Created with Experience', 'Inspired by Innovation' and 'Sustainable. For Life'.

In 1979, Jim McLaren founded McLaren Packaging with a clear ambition to become a specialist, independent supplier of paper-based packaging to the UK drinks sector. Through foresight and entrepreneurial vision, McLaren Packaging crafted a long-standing reputation for innovation, quality and service.

This allowed the business to grow organically, and acquire different specialist packaging companies, developing the internal expertise and knowledge to make McLaren Packaging the highly regarded and well respected organisation that it is today.

With premises in Port Glasgow, Inverclyde since inception, starting with one factory, and now consisting of four production facilities, the location has allowed McLaren to offer a successful One Stop Purchasing service to global brands.

McLaren Tubes, McLaren Corrugate and Interlok Divisions are all based in Port Glasgow today, with Blue Box Design in Stirling and Compack Cartons in Livingston, the group has seven production facilities across the central belt in Scotland.

Certifications & Accreditations

McLaren Packaging is committed to working and operating to the highest standards. Our dedication to service levels and high quality and innovative products is supported by being part of accredited industry bodies.

BS EN ISO 14001:2015
As part of the company's commitment to continue to protect the environment we maintain our operations and sites to the internationally recognised ISO 14001:2015 environmental standard.

BS EN ISO 9001 (Quality)
The International Quality Management Standard. Applicable to all types of company in any industry, the standard is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement.

BS EN ISO 45001 (Health & Safety)
Ensuring that the organisation has an effective management system in place to reduce health & safety risks within the workplace – protecting workers from potential harm and increasing production at the same time.

BRCGS Packaging Standard (Food Safety)
The BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard has set the benchmark for over 20 years. Adopted by over 20,000 sites in 130 countries, the standard is accepted by 70% of the top 10 global retailers, 60% of the top 10 quick-service restaurants, and 50% of the top 25 manufacturers. Developed with input from industry, it provides a framework to manage product safety, integrity, legality and quality, and the operational controls for these criteria in the food and food ingredient manufacturing, processing and packing industry. We have received A++, the highest accreditation, since 2018.

Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC)
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accreditation is the global forest certification system enabling consumers to identify, purchase and use wood, paper and other forest products produced from well-managed forests and recycled materials. We offer our customers packaging that comes from a sustainable forest, sourced ethically. It is important that we recognise the social and economic importance of protecting the environment and we are fully committed to complying with the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the EU Regulations 995/2010.

Disability Confident Employer
We are members of the Government - sponsored Disability Confident Scheme, aimed at creating a movement of change, encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people.

Awards

At McLaren Packaging we pride ourselves on producing high-quality, premium paper-based packaging. Some of our latest awards include

Winner Chamber of Commerce Awards for ‘Best Manufacturing & Best Employer over 25 people’.
Winner of Packaging News 'Cartonboard Pack of the Year'
Shortlisted for 'Branding Project of the Year' by UK Packaging Awards
We have worked with McLaren Packaging now for a number of years for everything from corrugated whisky cases through to high end presentation boxes. The products they supply have always made the grade and continue to impress both us as the customer in terms of lead times and design assistance and the clients we have worldwide in customer satisfaction. Along with many thousands of cartons at a time, we have a frequent requirement for small numbers of high end items of packaging that McLaren can handle equally well in a timely fashion. Increasingly as the business grows, the need for a one stop shop has become apparent and with one supplier and one point of contact to work through, it has made a huge difference to the success of meeting orders in turbulent times. With a fast turnaround from the design phase through to delivery McLaren make the grade.
Founder & Owner of Spirit Distillery