Winners

i2r is honoured and delighted to receive its second Queen’s Award for Enterprise, this time for Innovation. The award, which comes two years after its first for International Trade, is a tremendous privilege for everyone involved with i2r: partners, employees and suppliers.

With an established reputation for innovation excellence, i2r achieved its award in recognition of its patent protected i2r Ultra™ smoothwall aluminium foil container – a stronger yet lighter tray used for packaging high quality ready to cook convenience products, including red meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, BBQ food and desserts.

The ground-breaking design, which uses a new style of embossing to dramatically increase stress resistance, thereby creating a reduction in weight, price point and environmental impact, has won multiple awards and accolades since its launch in 2019.

i2r’s Co-Founder, Jon West, said: “We were delighted to receive our first Queen’s Award, but to be awarded a second is fabulous news and a huge honour. Reducing packaging by design and increasing awareness of recyclability is an essential element of our business ethos, so to have our innovation accomplishments formally recognised in this way is a triumph for the whole company.”

The company
i2r manufactures smoothwall and wrinklewall aluminium foil containers that are used extensively throughout the food industry. As the largest aluminium tray producer in Europe, i2r produce over 1.2 billion products annually, supplying many major food producers and retail brands, as well as to wholesaler and distributor markets worldwide, including Central & Northern Europe, Asia, North & South America and Australia.

Based centrally in Telford, Shropshire-UK, the company has over 160 employees, operates out of a well equipped 7000 sqm production facility and occupies a separate 670 sqm office.

Being part of the Italian-based Laminazione Sottile Group, a global leader in the manufacturing of rolled aluminium for a wide range of applications, the company has two subsidiaries – i2r inc. in the US and i2r Korea.

A true disruptor
Young, innovative and determined to provide a real packaging alternative, i2r was established in 2007 to disrupt and redefine the aluminium foil container industry. Over the years, the company has led the industry, broken the mould and delivered innovation through product design and manufacturing automation, delighting their customer base with service excellence.

Strategically agile
Since inception, i2r has grown significantly both in the UK and internationally. By investing in new presses, tools and factory improvements, and by placing a high premium on the creation of partnerships with customers and suppliers throughout the supply chain, the company remains strategically agile.

i2r’s workforce
Recognising that the recruitment, training and encouragement of staff delivers the best results for the business, i2r is highly proactive in developing its workforce. The company is an apprenticeship levypaying organisation, supporting apprentices with their development and having a 92% plus success rate of retaining them once their training comes to completion.

Sustainability
i2r is committed to a sustainable future – a pledge demonstrated at every level of the business: economic, community, employees and environmental. Through this commitment, the company can offer real socio-economic value for its customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders, as well as the local and national arena in which it operates.

The company is a supporting and active member of Alupro (Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation), who work to meet and exceed recycling targets for all aluminium packaging.

The future
i2r is investing to be the largest producer in the world! In 2022, the company has already established fantastic new business gains both in the UK and internationally, and they aim to further increase their presence and sales by targeting new markets and regions.