Sir James Cropper officially opens state-of-the-art facilities at James Cropper mill in Kendal

The two newly unveiled facilities include a state-of-the-art energy-efficient boiler in a newly refurbished powerhouse, and an embossing hall equipped with Formula 1-inspired precision surface measurement technology.

The occasion, which aligned with the company’s annual general meeting, was honoured by the presence of Sir James Cropper; former Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria and honorary president of James Cropper plc which was founded by his great-great grandfather James Cropper in 1845.

Delivered earlier this year under police escort, the energy-efficient 18-tonne Byworth Yorkshireman boiler is well-equipped to handle a wide range of energy demands, delivering improved control over energy consumption across the site while maintaining high efficiency standards.

Its installation aligns with James Cropper’s robust decarbonisation roadmap with progress already being made towards cutting natural gas usage by 25% by 2025 and achieving net zero by 2050 across the entire supply chain.

This advanced system, which scans hundreds of thousands of measurement points in just five seconds elevates the quality control process for textured paper production.

The purpose-built embossing hall also includes a new embosser varnisher and a laboratory for monitoring and measuring equipment. It will allow James Cropper to meet growing customer demand for alternatives to plastic which maintain surface aesthetics and functional characteristics.

The new embosser varnisher will provide best in class service for high volume business whilst the existing fleet of embossing machines tackle the shorter run, bespoke patterns with greater agility and flexibility.