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Big Bear Plastics Roars Forward With £2M Investment



A female industry leader, who was behind one of Harrods’ most successful marketing campaigns, is setting her sights on expansion after completing a £2m investment drive.


Big Bear Plastics’ Managing Director Emma Hockley is looking to maximise installation of two CNCs, a new robot and a waterjet machine to cement its position as one of the UK’s leading vacuum forming and compression moulding specialists.


She is targeting new opportunities in point-of-sale retail and the defence sector to complement existing high-profile contracts within the agricultural, construction and leisure industries.


A focus on big service, big reliability and rapid response times will be driving the growth beyond £10m by 2027, with the new ERP system helping to optimise manufacturing processes and new product introductions.


“There’s been a lot of change and consolidation in the plastics sector and that represents a big opportunity for us,” explained Emma, who marked five years at the helm this month.

“We’ve invested heavily in new technology and getting experienced manufacturing specialists in place and feel we have the platform and capability now to overcome some of industry’s pain points, including speed of response, material innovation and achieving world class quality in both low and higher volumes.”

She went on to add: “These are already delivering solutions for OEMs in automotive, agriculture and mobile home providers and we believe there are plenty of opportunities where we can deliver products to retail, as well as maximising a renewed focus on defence.”


Big Bear Plastics was founded in 1998 by Emma’s father Gerald Bloom, who previously launched and developed major tier 1 automotive supplier Midland Industrial Plastics.



Located in a 75,000 sq ft factory in Droitwich, the company has evolved from vacuum forming and trimming of plastic parts to offering customers access to high quality compression moulding and waterjet cutting of lightweight interior trim products.


The firm delivers a full-service solution from initial design, development and tooling to the manufacture of medium to high volume moulded parts up to 3.5m x 2.5m.


It works with a wide range of thermoplastic materials, including ABS, PMMA-ABS, HDPE, HIPS, PC and PE in a variety of colours, finishes and thicknesses.


Emma, a recent inductee of the Great 100 campaign by the Made Group, concluded: “Our sales are growing steadily, and I genuinely believe we can achieve and sustain sales of £10m+ by 2027.

“We’ve got the capacity, we’ve got the technology, we’ve got the experience and we’ve got a strong sales pipeline, featuring exciting opportunities in new markets. As we move towards our goal, I believe we’ll be able to create more than 20 jobs during this time, taking our total workforce to 100 people."

“Thermoforming allies itself to multiple sectors and we’re starting to explore more of these. For instance, we’re producing parts ranging from children’s play equipment to highly technical panels for vehicle modifications and aerospace applications…we’re also in discussions with military and defence specialists.”


She concluded: “Manufacturing is completely different to what I was used to as Perfumery & Cosmetics Buyer at Harrods, arguably the world’s biggest and most luxury retailer."


“Here I came up with the Perfume Diaries, an exhibition charting the history of perfume, which generated more than £2m of press coverage and significant sales results. It’s this eye for ‘telling a story’ I want to bring into the world of industry; it will just need to focus on the benefits of vacuum forming plastics rather than high-end fragrance brands!”


Big Bear Plastics, which is accredited to ISO 9001 and is recommended for certification to the ISO 14001 environmental standard, has started work towards being part of the JOSCAR register, a collaborative online platform for the UK aerospace, defence and security sectors.


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  • Writer: Paul Andrews - CEO Family Business United
    Paul Andrews - CEO Family Business United
  • Jun 26, 2023
  • 2 min read

Leading glass packaging firm, Croxsons, together with long-term customer, Eden Mill Distillery, have produced primary packaging for the launch of Ramsay’s Gin, a premium London Dry Gin launched in collaboration with the internationally renowned chef, Gordon Ramsay.


Inspired by the Scottish landscape and with a focus on sustainable produce, Ramsay teamed up with the award-winning distiller to craft a gin that was far from ordinary, derived from the very best ingredients and giving a real taste of Scotland. The bottle therefore needed to be a unique design that weaved in elements of the chef’s personality and passion, reflecting a modern twist and liking for pushing the boundaries that Ramsay’s Gin represents. It was also important that the bottle’s production was as sustainable as possible, and that it was produced in the UK.


In producing the primary packaging, Croxsons opted for a bespoke, clear 70cl bottle, made from 18% less glass than the industry standard, thereby representing a lower carbon footprint. Using the ‘R’ from Ramsay’s signature, Croxsons embossed the bottle throughout. In addition, intricate lines were included to represent waves lapping on the St Andrews shoreline – the sea being a shared passion of both Ramsay and Eden Mill. On closer inspection, each line weaves into a small fishtail at the base of the bottle, a representation in glass of the chef’s love of fishing. A small label panel front and back completed the look, together with a Croxsons GPI (Glass Packaging Institute) stopper.


Commenting on the project, Matthew Turner, marketing director at Eden Mill Distillery, said: “From the outset, Croxsons stood out to us as a great partner for this project due to the company’s sustainable ethos and trusted reputation."


“The process from start to finish was exceedingly smooth with Croxsons. They were on hand to help with design and any production queries, and we can’t thank them enough. Since launch, we have received comments on the distinct and modern nature of the Ramsay’s Gin bottle.”


Croxsons’ CEO, Tim Croxson, added: “We are really pleased with the final product. The sustainable bottle looks incredible and the quality of the finishing adds a lot of extra value to the consumer. We look forward to being involved in future projects with Eden Mill as they continue to develop innovative and unique products.”

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