ABPAC Secures Expanded Debt Facility from Shawbrook to Drive Growth and Scottish Expansion

• Abpac is a leading UK provider of food packaging solutions for the bakery, catering, and food-to-go sectors, operating distribution hubs in Wincanton, Glasgow, and Manchester. The company follows a strong buy-and-build strategy and is supported by Shawbrook’s client, Kentra Bay.
• To strengthen its service offering and broaden its regional reach, Abpac sought to acquire Scotland-based food-to-go packaging specialist Marshall Wilson Packaging Ltd.
• Shawbrook provided a tailored Corporate Leverage facility to Kentra Bay and its portfolio business, Abpac, enabling the acquisition and supporting the company’s wider growth ambitions.

Abpac Limited (‘Abpac’), a leading distributor of food packaging products, has secured an enhanced debt facility from Shawbrook to support its expansion plans, including the acquisition of Marshall Wilson Packaging Ltd (‘MWP’). Backed by Kentra Bay, an existing Shawbrook client, this latest buy-and-build transaction will strengthen Abpac’s position within the bakery and food-to-go packaging sectors and expand its presence across the Scottish market.

Abpac is a well-established supplier of food packaging solutions, catering to the bakery, butchery, catering, and ‘food-to-go’ sectors, along with a broad range of ancillary products, including production disposables and janitorial supplies.

Abpac was acquired by Kentra Bay in 2021 with Shawbrook supporting the transaction. Since then, the company has executed an ambitious buy-and-build growth strategy, focused on enhancing service quality and widening its geographic reach to better serve its growing customer base.

Marshall Wilson Packaging is a prominent distributor of food and drink packaging products, serving Scotland’s central belt. As part of a succession plan, MWP’s retiring business owners were seeking a buyer with a strong focus on customer service and employee care. This proved an excellent strategic fit for Abpac, who with the backing of Kentra Bay, approached Shawbrook to secure support for the transaction.

Working to a tight timeline, Shawbrook’s expert team structured an increase to the client’s existing debt facilities, providing a corporate leverage loan for the acquisition and to support the purchase of an associated commercial property in Glasgow from which to expand. The funding solution included flexibility to accommodate the existing debt facilities and shareholder distributions.

Francis Marx, Director at Abpac Limited said, “We had first-hand experience of Shawbrook’s capabilities, following the earlier transaction with Kentra Bay and felt that the bank would be well-placed to support us again. Nick and the team understood both the timelines and the complexities of the transaction and provided a solution that ticked all the boxes.”

Nick Brown, Client Manager at Shawbrook commented, “Being up-to-speed on Abpac and Kentra Bay’s expansion strategy proved critical to this transaction as it required both a fast turnaround and substantial flexibility. We look forward to seeing this client expand further as they continue their buy and build journey.”