Springfield Solutions has been awarded the highest possible grade for pre-planned audit visits in the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials for the second year in succession.

The award is particularly impressive as it comes hot on the heels of the launch of its £1.3m #PrintWorks expansion, which has doubled the size of its digital printing operation.

The company achieved an AA grade with just three minor nonconformities which were immediately corrected.

The result builds upon the digital printer’s flawless performance last year, and in 2016 when it achieved an AA grade in the same category.

David Medcalf, Enabling Services Manager at Springfield Solutions, said achieving an AA rating immediately after the launch of #PrintWorks was a spectacular result.

He said: “Last year, the BRC extended the scope of its audits to cover the quality of systems related to print packaging and the controls of a company’s processes and we had to adapt to that quickly. We did that well, scoring our first AA rating.

“This year has been even more challenging. We launched #PrintWorks which doubled our operating space, and that was included in the audit, so we had to ensure all the processes we had introduced were as perfect as they could be.

“When the results came back, we were absolutely delighted that we’d retained our AA rating.”

Dennis Ebeltoft, Joint Managing Director of Springfield Solutions, added: “Our team has done it again! To achieve the AA grade last year was a triumph. To do it twice in two years, especially with the challenges #PrintWorks created, is amazing. Well done everyone involved, what a fantastic job!”

The first-class achievement came about as a result of Springfield’s annual independent audit carried out by SGS International which took place in September this year. The company is subject to the audit because it supplies labels to many blue-chip companies within the food and nutraceutical sectors.

The result puts Springfield Solutions in a small band of elite companies adhering to the best possible practice in its printing processes for products supplied to the Food, Drink and sensitive product sectors.

Picture caption: Dawn Holmes, Dave Medcalf, Rachel Laughton and Dave Hodgson from the Quality Assurance Team in the recently opened #PrintWorks facility.