Our History
1979
We’ve come a long way since 1979, when we began trading as a packaging merchant, called Braythorn Limited. Our beginnings were humble – we shared our office in Reading with an undertaker!
1981
It wasn’t long before we needed a space of our own. Two years later we branched out and rented our first factory. At 2500 sq ft it was small, but ideal for our needs. At the same time we bought our first cardboard tube-winding machine enabling us to supply industrial and mailing tubes. We were ambitious even in those days and, as early adopters of technology, bought our first Apricot computers.
1984
Within three years we’d outgrown our first premises so moved to a 10,500 sq ft factory. This gave us the opportunity to increase our portfolio of work by purchasing new printing and converting machinery for polythene production for the mailing market.
1988
We expanded again by acquiring Eeles Walker, a cardboard tube company in Birmingham. We also purchased the site of our current factory.
1989
As business grew, we moved the Birmingham manufacturing plant to two adjacent factory buildings, enabling us to install additional machinery for card and polythene production.
1991
This year was a turning point for the business. We decided to combine the Birmingham and Reading manufacturing plants and commissioned a single, purpose-built factory in Birmingham. We also purchased new machinery to manufacture plastic tube containers, taking us in a new direction.
1992
December was a momentous month: we moved in to our purpose-built, freehold factory, measuring an impressive 30,000 sq ft. Over the ensuing three years, we expanded this to the current 50,000 square feet.
2000-2004
We saw major customers begin to off-shore production, which necessitated a change of direction. We became a manufacturer of food-grade containers and in 2004, we were one of the first companies to achieve the British Retail Consortium certification for packaging materials. To meet the demands of this new area of business, we made a significant investment in new machinery.
2008
We sold of the polythene division to concentrate on food-grade packaging.
2012
After 33 years as Braythorn Limited, we decided to rebrand and rename the company. We wanted a name that reflected what we do – the manufacture of “visual cans and containers”. Visican was born.
2012-2019
We’ve committed to continual investment every year. As well as new technology and machinery, we acquired an adjacent 7,000 sq ft warehouse for additional storage.
Here’s to the next 40 years!