Under the terms of the agreement, ESP is now the sole outlet for PMP's products in the Midlands and Somerset, including the Vale of Evesham. Many of the country's leading produce growers and suppliers are located in the region.

Three-year old ESP aims to supply the fresh produce industry with all of its packaging requirements. The company has expanded steadily, achieving £3 million turnover in 2002. From its 12,000sqft warehouse, the company supplies individual growers and blue chip packaging operations with a wide range of boxes, punnets, trays and film.

As well as the UK, ESP has customers in Argentina, Greece and India. It also supplies equipment and have placed box making machines at a number of customer's sites.

Duncan MacDonald and Ronan Lynch, directors of ESP, attribute the company's success to its ability to match stock holding to seasonal demand. 'We pride ourselves on being able to offer same day delivery, seven days a week whenever necessary.' Said MacDonald.

'Our understanding of the produce industry and relationship with suppliers, means that we can handle bespoke requests for one off and customised designs.' PMP's UK sales manager David Mines is delighted to be strengthening representation in the region. 'ESP is a fine company and, in a relatively short time has built an excellent reputation in the region,' he said. 'We see them as an ideal partner to encourage the use of solidboard packaging in the produce industry. Over the next 12 months they will increase our market share in the region to over 50 per cent - selling over 1m boxes in the process.' When next season starts ESP will have large quantities of standard size solidboard trays and boxes in stock. They will be suitable for both hand or machine erect systems. The transit containers it supplies are stronger and more robust than corrugated alternatives, it is claimed. Laboratory tests prove that water resistant solidboard outperforms standard corrugated. The tests showed that corrugated board absorbs more than its own weight of water and loses 80 per cent of its original strength after just five minutes immersion. It also loses 40 per cent of its strength when exposed to 60 per cent relative humidity. Solidboard is virtually unaffected by both conditions.

Apart from the standard container range, PMP's design and multi colour print service is available, through ESP, to companies requiring custom made trays and boxes.

Charles Houlbrooke of Leadon Vale Strawberries, pictured with colleagues, said. ' ESP is my preferred supplier. The ESP team provides a faultless service and its products are very competitively priced. I am very pleased to see ESP and PMP expanding their operations in the Vale.' Leadon Vale is a member of AMS, Asda's category manager and main supplier for soft fruits.

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