Suffolk-based plastic materials manufacturer Broadway celebrates a quarter of a century in business in May 2022.
Broadway started manufacturing custom colour and effect masterbatches for the cosmetics and personal care sectors in 1997. The business grew steadily and grinding facilities were added in 2011, allowing Broadway to apply their colouring expertise to roto powders. More recently, investments in R&D, improved manufacturing infrastructure and a growing range of performance additives have aided the development of custom compounds and additive masterbatches. Broadway anticipates further organic growth in the coming years, particularly in the European mainland following the launch of Broadway GmbH in Germany in 2021.
Broadway has always been a family-owned, independent business. Managing Director Joe Maynard founded the company in 1997. Looking back over the past 25 years, he spoke about how Broadway grew from just three staff in a small unit, to become the business it is in 2022 – employing around 60 staff and servicing clients throughout the UK, Europe and beyond.
“We started with myself, my business partner John, and colourist Mark Turner. When I consider all the job roles at Broadway today, it’s quite amazing to look back and wonder how the three of us managed to cover everything. John used to do all the office work, I used to do everything in the factory, and Mark used to do everything in the lab. Mark is still with us today, what a fantastic servant to our business. I’m very thankful for his loyalty and dedication – long may it continue.
We had six staff by the end of our first year. As we expanded, we acquired several more units before moving to bigger premises on Broadway Drive in 2011, which is where our current name comes from. The addition of our grinding facility demanded bigger premises again and we moved to our current site in 2015, with around 30 staff. Our production output continued to grow, and we’ve doubled our staff headcount in the years since.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with some really interesting people over the years, and I still do. They bring so much to the business; knowledge, ideas, passion, dedication. Broadway would be nothing without the people who contribute so much. I’m pleased to have several staff who’ve been with us a long time. We’re a business built on family values and I’m proud that whilst we’ve grown, we’ve retained a culture where everyone looks out for one another. My thanks to our employees, past and present, for helping us get where we are today.
We’re still the only company in East Anglia manufacturing masterbatch, but there are plenty of plastic processing companies in the region wanting to buy our products. Knowing we had a market and little competition across our region gave us reason to believe the business would succeed, and so it has proved. I’d like to say a heartfelt thanks to all our customers and our suppliers. Many customers have been trading with us for a long time and we really do value the partnerships we’ve built with you. We’ll always strive to innovate, inspire and provide value through high-quality materials and excellent service. We’ve achieved so much over the past 25 years and I’m excited to see what the future brings.”