Defence packaging award (From Salisbury Journal)

Defence packaging award

10:25am Thursday 14th March 2013 in Business

A DIRECTOR of GWP Group is one of the first people in the UK to achieve an important new defence industry qualification.

Ian Heskins, sales director of the Salisburybased designer and manufacturer of specialist protective packaging products, has achieved the MPAS (Military Packaging Accreditation Scheme) Packaging Designer Certificate.

Mr Heskins received the award following an extensive period of study and assessment.

The new MPAS qualification replaces the old DR14 Defence Packaging design qualification and places GWP at the forefront of packaging design for the UK defence industry.

Mr Heskins said: “The course itself was technically quite challenging and provided a very indepth knowledge of Defence standard 81-41, which ensures the safe transit and long term environmental protection of a huge variety of highvalue and delicate defence equipment.”

It is an MoD requirement that companies bidding for MoD packaging contracts have the MPAS designer certificate.

David Pedley, chief executive of GWP Group said: “We have been supplying protective cases and engineered foam products into the UK defence industry for several years but this new qualification will provide GWP with the opportunity to win packaging contracts directly with the UK Ministry of Defence.”