Rutland Plastics is celebrating its 70th Birthday this year, and while most 70-year-olds are putting their feet up, we are definitely not. In fact, 2026 will see our biggest machine investment to date in the form of a 2400 tonne Engel moulding machine (one of the largest moulding machines in the UK). This added to our existing capability will allow us to mould plastics parts from a few grams in weight up to 45kg and 1.7m in size.
We certainly look different today from when the company first started out injection moulding in 1956. Expansion has continued on the site in Oakham and now exceeds 6130 square metres. We employ over 150 staff with an approximate turnover of £17million. Today, Rutland Plastics is still a family-run custom injection moulder for a wide variety of industries. Throughout the company’s history, we have retained a steadfast dedication to building strong partnerships with both customers and suppliers while consciously investing in areas that add real value.
Originally, the company moulded plastic flowers, progressing to accessories for budgerigars as their popularity boomed during the 1950's. Later, this developed into own-brand toys for children called ‘Rutland’, which went on to include the Katie range of domestic-themed toys. Expansion started to pick up in the 1970s with contracts for a Swedish kitchen manufacturer and British Gas. The 1980s saw further work with gas pipe fittings and the first electrofusion patent along with gaining ISO9001 accreditation in 1989. The 1990s saw a focus on people and technology with the award of Investors in People and a license to assess and award NVQs alongside the first 3D CAD system, CMM machine and Gas Assisted injection moulding technology.
The 21st century saw the redevelopment of the site, and now very few of the old buildings remain. In addition we added Moldex 3D software and ISO14001 and ISO13485 to our suite of accreditations. The redevelopment included several sustainability initiatives most notably a 250kWh solar installation on the warehouse roof and a cloud-based ERP system that provides real-time energy monitoring and reporting system for all 30 moulding machines. In the past 5 years, we have invested over £5million in new energy-efficient moulding machines and toolroom equipment.
As a family business, we are not bound by typical shareholder expectations and so can plan for the next generation and not just the next financial year. We have always reinvested profits back into the company to ensure that the business has a sound operating base for the future for our employees and our community.
