Insights from Camilla Hadcock, Director of Roach Bridge Tissues

Roach Bridge Tissues, a specialty printer and processor of wrapping tissue paper, serves the retail POS and e-commerce markets with a diverse customer base including branded apparel, footwear, cut glass, pottery, wine bottle packaging, sheet metal and optical lens dividers and home moving packaging.

Approximately 70% of the company’s sales are custom printed tissue paper, with the remainder consisting of plain white or colored packs and rolls. Roach Bridge Tissues prides itself on being a design-led company, transforming customers’ design concepts into tangible products that enhance brand presence. Their expertise lies in providing design support and technical assistance to clients who have a vision but lack the knowledge to realize it.

As an SME manufacturer based in the picturesque Lancashire countryside, Roach Bridge Tissues’ team of ten have over 120 years of combined experience in the tissue paper industry. Their printed and finished tissue paper adds the perfect finishing touch, offering luxury and brand awareness to customers’ unpacking experiences.

Roach Bridge Tissues has been a proud member of Made in Britain for the past eight years and uses the official registered trademark on all packaging. This trademark symbolizes low product miles, quality, fast production, support for the British economy and workforce, and British manufacturing excellence.

Since its founding 25 years ago, Roach Bridge Tissues has been committed to ethical and environmental responsibility. One of the company’s ongoing objectives is to minimize the environmental impact of its processes. Striving for net zero involves integrating impact reduction into decision-making, with both economic viability and environmental considerations guiding outcomes.

What is the most important problem you solve for your customers?

Versatility. Because the majority of our work is custom work, each assignment has unique requirements. Our extensive knowledge, built up over the years, allows us to support our customers from the first design phase. We have a significant stock of paper in various weights and sizes, allowing us to meet most design requirements. As a British manufacturer, we can respond quickly and deliver from order to finished product in less than two weeks for minimum order quantities.

What inspired you to start your business: did you want to break the status quo, or was it a gap in the market that you were trying to fill?

Blotting paper feels like it’s in my blood; my grandfather owned Roach Bridge Paper Mill and produced rolling paper until his death in the late 1970s. When my husband and I heard that some of the Mill’s machinery was for sale, we saw an opportunity to fill a gap in the market for custom branded rolling paper.

In the early 2000s, printed tissue paper was not particularly popular, but with the shift in legislation regarding plastic bags and the rise of e-commerce, branded tissue paper has become highly sought after.

What are your brand values?

Service and quality are at the core of Roach Bridge’s values. Our entire team goes above and beyond to ensure that every pack of tissue paper we ship exceeds expectations.

While the Roach Bridge Tissues brand may not be widely recognized, our activities focus on increasing brand visibility for our customers. Our values ​​are an integral part of the way we manage the business and produce our products.

Do your values ​​influence your decision-making process?

Absolute. Our values ​​guide everything we do, from sourcing the best raw materials and maintaining our machines to efficiently planning production schedules and valuing our team and our environment.

Is team culture crucial for your company?

Yes, team culture is critical. As a small team, collaboration is essential. We ensure that all team members are trained on different machines and rotate through different processes. This approach not only provides cover for holidays and illnesses, but also promotes better wellbeing and problem solving through shared expertise. I understand the importance of flexibility, especially when unexpected personal issues arise, and we all work together to support each other.

How do you show your team that you appreciate them?

Although we do not have team building days or reward programs, we value and respect each other’s opinions. I am actively involved in all aspects of the process and maintain an open door policy for questions, ideas and concerns. When we quote for unconventional assignments, we make collective decisions, using the specific expertise of team members.

Seven years ago we switched to a four-day working week for economic reasons, and when business picked up again, the team preferred this arrangement. We now have a shortened working week with an optional extra four hours on Fridays during peak season.

Do you communicate directly and clearly with your customers?

Yes, clear communication with customers is paramount. I always provide honest feedback about what is possible within our capabilities and find solutions to deliver what our customers need. Transparency avoids hidden costs and disappointments, ensuring customer satisfaction.

How do you deal with inflation and interest rates: do you pass costs on to customers or absorb them?

The paper industry faced significant price increases at the beginning of the war in Ukraine due to high energy consumption. We went through a period where prices soared, but customers rarely questioned the increases. Most prices have now stabilized and we can largely absorb the costs. Interest rates have not affected us as we operate on a pay-as-you-go basis. To support my team during the cost of living crisis, I decided to make a substantial pay increase, prioritizing their well-being over profitability.

How do you assess your data and KPIs?

Our primary data comes from satisfied customers, with key performance indicators being repeat customers and reaching new customers. While monitoring numbers is important, I focus on the broader picture: delivering excellent service at competitive rates, maintaining the team’s enthusiasm and achieving year-on-year revenue growth. As long as these goals are met, I’m not too concerned about monthly goals.

Is technology playing a larger role in your company’s operations?

Our printing machines are traditional, because tissue paper is too fragile for digital printing. Our team’s skills, such as hand-mixed, color-matched inks, set us apart. However, the office is embracing modern technology, although it is unlikely that we will go paperless.

What is your attitude towards your competitors?

As long as our competitors maintain their standards, I am satisfied with our commitment to do better.

What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Always do your best, value your team and customers, and focus on long-term results rather than immediate profits. Include the environmental impact in all decisions; it may be more expensive initially, but is worth it in the long run.

How do you relax and recharge?

I excel at leaving my work behind at the end of the day. Beekeeping and serving as a referee and judge for artistic swimming keep me busy and focused on the weekends, which is a great way to relax. Family, while wonderful, does not fall into the category of soothing!

Do you follow the 12-week working method or longer planning strategies?

I don’t follow any specific planning method. Most customer orders are on a just-in-time basis, so while I maintain an overview of approximately six weeks, the production schedule is planned weekly and is subject to change. We prioritize urgent requests and ensure this does not impact other customers. Standard paper takes approximately 12 weeks to produce, while other consumables are ordered as needed. Maintenance is scheduled and our team of engineers, including my husband, are ready to assist when needed.

What is your company’s eco-strategy?

We strive to reduce our impact on the environment and provide the best working environment. Many certification standards are expensive for an SME, so we adopt their criteria without the audits. We are FSC registered and much of our paper stock is 100% recycled.

Our factory runs on electricity from an on-site hydroelectric turbine, and we plan to install solar panels. We use natural light, LED lighting and efficient heating systems. Our team lives locally and minimizes the impact of travel. We have a deinking plant for waste management and all production waste is recycled. Our rural location, with free-range chickens and beehives, strengthens our living environment.

What are your goals for the next 12 months?

Our primary goal is to install a new, better insulated roof with solar panels, thereby strengthening our sustainability efforts.