Tinplate is a family business with over thirty years’ experience in tin manufacturing.
We’re a family business with almost four decades of experience creating bespoke, world-class tin products. We’ve worked with amazing clients and products in just about every industry and sector you care to name. In fact, there’s a very good chance you’ve already held one of our products in your hands – you just didn’t realise we made it.
We produce innovative, creative and award-winning packaging – but just as importantly, delivering on time and to the highest possible standards. We love taking on new challenges in order to test our experience and technical expertise, so we can stay at the forefront of the industry.
You can visit us at our office and showroom near Malmesbury, Wiltshire, and we have a new, purpose built factory near Trowbridge that offers our contract packaging service. Our technical and quality control team is well placed to guarantee the best print and production quality, enabling us to create the tin packaging you need at a competitive price and bang on time.
Our manufacturing facilities are located in China, where our products are produced to internationally recognised quality certification standards. They also have to pass meticulous ethical and technical assessments on a regular basis.
We want to give delight to anyone who picks up a tin product. It’s that love that makes us go the extra mile, to deliver something elegant or charming, a tactile product where you think: well, that’s a bit clever. And that means not only do your products feel special and get noticed – but you do too. See how we’ve worked our magic elsewhere.
Born from the remnants of Avon Tin Printers in Bristol, Rob Christmas established us as a Partnership in 1990. He had gained 12 years of experience in tin printing, pressing and manufacture of all types of tins, and employed many of the skilled workers available in Bristol. Here’s how we evolved.
1990
Tinplate Products is born. Over the next 2 years we’re contracted by Wander Ltd to make over 5 million Ovaltine tins.
1993
Production of memorabilia wall signs begins for a client, and a small factory is set up in Melksham to create about 120,000 signs per year. We develop and sell a range of CD/DVD tins, which sell in large numbers for several years. This helps us to become the leading supplier of tin packaging to the media industry.
1994
We move to a larger factory in Trowbridge. Around this time, we produce the first of our Jaguar XJ220 GT car tin pencil boxes, which win a ‘Best in Metal’ award. This is followed by our award-winning McLaren F1 GTR and Porsche 911 tins.
2000
Emma Hanson (Rob’s daughter, now Managing Director) joins Tinplate.
2001
We connect with a Hong Kong tin operation to supply a much larger range of tin products. This works well until we reach a scale of operation requiring direct contact with factories in China in order to be more competitive.
2001
We launch the first major film DVD tin for Terminator 2. This grows to epic proportions as an iconic pack.
2002
Sales continue to grow, following manufacturing support with China. Tinplate Products Ltd is incorporated to handle the 'China' trade leaving the Partnership, in order to produce local products such as wall signs and tin embossing.
2003
We win a ‘Best in Metal’ award for the Iron Maiden casket.
2007
Samantha Ware (now our Production and Logistics Director) joins Tinplate.
2009
We start our first trade shows, which are a step change for the business. Larger 'Blue Chip' clients begin partnerships with us and we define ourselves as a major player in UK tin supply.
2010
We move offices from bustling Bristol to idyllic Sherston.
2011
Vicky Colegate joins Tinplate as an Account Manager.
2014
We start contract packing for key clients. This reduces the carbon footprint of retail product from production to store, helps reduce costs and increase efficiencies.
2014
Sue Bowen, now our Head of New Business & Client Relations, joins Tinplate.
2015
Paul Scutt, our Senior Account Manager, joins Tinplate.
2016
Accountant Nikki Tilley joins the team.
2018
Amy West joins Tinplate as an Account Manager and Mark Harding, now our Procurement & Supply Chain Manager, joins the team.
2020
We open our new purpose-built facility for contract packing and warehousing in Southwick, near Trowbridge
2021
Erica Martin joins Tinplate as an Account Manager
2022
Claudia Harris joins the team as Junior Account Manager
2024
Guy Tipping (Senior Account Manager) & Elly Adye (Account Manager) join Tinplate
Amongst the factories we work with in China, we have the following accreditations covered…
For our UK factory, we have the following accreditations….
Get to know us.
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