We’ve come a long way since our Chairman, Garth Christie, founded the business in 1979.
Evolving from a local packaging supplier into a leader in the provision of packaging consultancy services, solutions and machinery to some of the world’s most recognised brands.
Current Hazel 4D chairman, Garth Christie, founds Hazel Mill, initially storing products in his attic and the cellar of a shop in Headingley, Leeds.
The cellar was that damp it came complete with frogs!
Good riddance to the damp cellar!
Garth buys the first rental premises for Hazel Mill at Meadow Lane, Leeds.
Hazel Mill moves to a warehouse on Education Road, Leeds.
We open our first trade counter.
Hazel Mill is sold and the company becomes Hazel Products
Garth goes full-time at
Hazel Products
The business moves its warehouse to Canal Road in Armley, Leeds.
Hazel Products launches Bonus Tape, a unique packaging tape with double the amount of tape on a roll than standard tapes.
Garth’s son, Neil (Hazel 4D’s current Commercial Director), joins the business, initially working in the warehouse.
Hazel Products moves to large premises on Armley Road, Leeds, where our offices, warehouse and trade counter are finally located under one roof!
We launch our Total Packaging Management Service, becoming the first packaging company in the UK to offer this kind of stock management service.
Hazel Products gets its first website.
We begin printing branded tape for clients in-house in our warehouse.
We introduce our first printed packaging catalogue!
We launch E-Tape, a premium quality packaging tape designed to reduce waste and save time with a small core and 150m of tape on a roll.
Sharon Burrell, Hazel 4D Portfolio Manager marries Paul Briggs, former warehouse operative, after meeting in 1999 when they both worked at Hazel Products.
Hazel Products has a brief foray into selling rock salt, proving a popular product in the great rock salt shortage that winter!
A huge fire starts in an adjacent property and destroys our entire 50,000 sq. ft warehouse. The fire is featured on local TV and in the press.
Despite all of our stock being ruined, we work hard to make sure the effects aren’t passed on to our customers. Within 24 hours, we dispatch fresh stock and don’t let a single customer down. Some aren’t even aware we’ve had a fire!
We move our offices temporarily to Focus Way in Yeadon and partner with Eddie Stobart to make our operation completely flexible and allow us to hold stock for just-in-time delivery.
Out of the ashes, we re-brand as Hazel 4D to highlight that we’re not just your average packaging supplier, we’re your packaging partner. Through our consultancy services and customer support, we deliver an extra dimension for our customers.
Hazel 4D’s sister company Gloves4U is founded.
Portfolio Manager, Sharon Briggs, celebrates 25 years of working at Hazel 4D.
We launch Extremus Stretch Film, a high-performance pre-stretched load holding film made using nanotechnology.
We begin to use our high-tech mobile load stability testing system to help our customers improve their pallet stability.
The device measures the forces placed on pallets by stretch wrap, allowing us to fix inefficiencies and make pallet loads safer.
To help businesses reduce their plastic use, we introduce Surf padded paper mailers. With a strong protective lining made of corrugated paper, Surf mailers are an eco-friendly alternative to bubble-lined envelopes.
We celebrate 40 years in the packaging industry!
