Loadhog Hosts Made in Yorkshire Members for an Exclusive Factory Tour
15th May 2026
This week, we were delighted to open our doors to Made in Group members for an exclusive factory tour, bringing together manufacturers from across Yorkshire and the Midlands for an insightful behind-the-scenes morning at our Sheffield Headquarters.
The event marked an exciting milestone following our recent membership with Made in Yorkshire in 2025, reinforcing our commitment to strengthening collaboration across the UK manufacturing sector.
The morning provided a valuable opportunity to showcase how our people, products and culture continue to shape our approach to sustainable reusable packaging, while creating space for open conversations, collaboration and the sharing of best practice across the manufacturing community.
From presentations led by our team to guided tours through our 120,000 sq ft facility, the event highlighted what makes us unique: employee ownership, innovation, sustainability, and a commitment to helping businesses reduce waste across their supply chains.
Attendees experienced live production processes, explored recent machinery investments, and gained a deeper understanding of how we support both UK and global demand through our returnable packaging solutions.
The morning began with a warm welcome from Group Managing Director Shaun Khan, who introduced our journey since its founding in 2003. Shaun spoke about how we began as an injection moulding business built around solving real packaging challenges. Our first product, the Loadhog Pallet Lid, was developed after one of our customers needed a better way to secure goods in transit and reduce product damage. That solution went on to replace single-use shrink wrap while improving load stability, and it remains one of our most recognised innovations today. Shaun went on to highlight that our growth is underpinned by a strong employee-owned culture, where every team member has a personal stake in success, driving accountability, pride, and performance.
Our Operations Director, Rob Deakin, gave guests an insight into our manufacturing footprint and how far the business has come since its early days. From our beginnings in a 14,000 sq ft Sheffield facility with just two machines, we now operate a 120,000 sq ft site running 24/7 with 18 injection moulding machines and up to 200 employees. Our expansion continues internationally, with our new 50,000 sq ft facility in Obernai, France, opened in October 2025, and ongoing development in Chicago to meet rising American demand, supported by a flexible manufacturing approach that enables shorter, more responsive production cycles.
Innovation and sustainability remain central to our future. As highlighted by Innovation Director Leigh Jowett, we design reusable packaging systems built to last, embedding long-term environmental thinking into every stage of development. This approach aligns closely with its employee-owned model, reinforcing responsibility for the full lifecycle of its products. Alongside ongoing progress towards net zero through reduced carbon intensity and continuous improvement, investments in an innovation studio and validation lab ensure solutions perform in real-world environments. Bringing this to life, Key Account Manager Sue Matthews demonstrated how our reusable packaging, ranging from pallet lids and totes to dollies and the Pally range, helps customers eliminate single-use materials, improve efficiency, and create more circular supply chains. A standout example included OE Electrics, which uses our products to streamline internal material flow, highlighting how the company delivers not just products, but complete, customer-focused returnable packaging solutions.
The factory tour created a valuable platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration between manufacturers. Guests explored our shop floor, observed injection moulding processes, and saw firsthand how our products are assembled, tested, and prepared for distribution. The event also sparked meaningful conversations around sustainability, operational efficiency, product development and continuous improvement. For us, this exchange of ideas is essential. Manufacturing thrives when businesses collaborate, share insights, and work together to strengthen the wider sector.
From the original Pallet Lid to our expanding Intralogistics range, we continue to challenge single-use packaging and develop solutions that help businesses reduce waste, cut carbon and improve operational efficiency.
We would like to thank Made in Yorkshire and everyone who joined us for an incredible morning. It was a pleasure to open our doors, share our journey, and connect with so many forward-thinking manufacturers.
