Our Story
Pioneering paper products through innovation, our history is a story of boundless creativity and endless possibilities.
Enabling brands to create sustainable customer connections
Our journey may have begun as small envelope company operating in Stoke, Staffordshire, but
Britannia Envelopes (1987)
Mail Solutions (TODAY)
Our Mission
Uniting ownership, innovation, and environmental consciousness to create profitable solutions for a sustainable future
A history to be proud of
From a little business many years ago, the company has grown to become one of the most entrepreneurial and successful envelope and print manufacturers in the UK.
Our values from day one have always been to deliver quality, service and value to our customers, which has helped shape our history and still drives us forward today. Follow our timeline to learn more about our story.
Where our story begins (1987 to 2000)
Britannia Envelope Manufacturing Co, Mech-Mail Envelopes and Tradesource are formed.
Mech-Mail Envelopes acquired (1997)
South Staffordshire Water acquires Telford-based envelope manufacturer Mech-Mail Envelopes.
Britannia Envelopes acquired (1998)
South Staffordshire Water acquires its second envelope manufacturer, Stoke based Britannia Envelope Manufacturing Co.
Mail Solutions created (March, 2000)
Britannia Envelopes and Mech-Mail Envelopes merge creating Mail Solutions.
Tradesource acquired (April, 2000)
South Staffordshire Group (previously South Staffordshire Water) acquires Corby based printer Tradesource and is rebranded as Mail Solutions.
South Staffs Group splits (April, 2004)
South Staffordshire Group de-merges its business into two separate entities, South Staffordshire plc and Homeserve plc, with Mail Solutions joining the newly established insurance provider.
Mail Solutions MBO (July, 2004)
Longmax Industries purchases the entire Mail Solutions business from Homeserve in a Management Buy-Out (MBO).
K&J Lockie acquired (July, 2006)
Mail Solutions completes its first acquisition since the MBO, by purchasing envelope company K&J Lockie.
VIMBO of Longmax Industries (April, 2007)
Vendor-Initiated Management Buy-Out (VIMBO) is completed by Longmax Industries, leading to the creation of Mail Solutions Group.
BHF Envelopes acquired (July, 2009)
Mail Solutions acquires West Bromwich based BHF Envelopes and became part of the Telford envelope operation.
Empires Envelopes acquired (July, 2010)
Mail Solutions continues to grow the envelope business with the addition of Empire Envelopes, located in Bolton.
HQ Relocation (October, 2011)
Mail Solutions completes the relocation of its HQ to a new 92,000 sq. ft facility in Halesfield, Telford.
Great British Envelopes founded (January, 2012)
A new envelope company Great British Envelopes Ltd is established in Blackburn, leading to the introduction of the innovative litho reel envelope conversion.
Crossways Envelopes acquired (July, 2012)
Mail Solutions extends its presence within South East England by acquiring Dartford company, Crossways Envelopes.
Crossways rebrands (January, 2013)
Crossways Envelopes begins trading under the brand name of Mail Solutions.
GBE and Empire Envelopes rebrands (April, 2015)
Both Great British Envelopes and Empire Envelopes adopt the Mail Solutions brand, creating a consistent identity throughout the Group.
New envelope site in Wales (September, 2015)
Mail Solutions sets up new envelope production site at Llangollen, Wales, in order to expand its product offering and target new markets.
Mail Solutions become employee-owned (November, 2017)
Mail Solutions completes the transition to an employee-owned company. Purchased by the employee-ownership trust (“EOT”), all current employees are the beneficial owners of the business.
Intrinsic Paper Straws formed (June, 2019)
Intrinsic Paper Straws begins manufacturing paper straws as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic straws, operating from a custom-built facility inside the Telford HQ.
New e-commerce hub created (August, 2021)
Innovative Paper Solutions is created as the new e-commerce hub for offering sustainable and effective paper products that help customers reduce their environmental footprint.
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