Flintshire-based manufacturer Boardlink Limited has entered administration this week. A Notice of Intention to Appoint Administrators was filed on 27 March. At the same time, Rick Harrison and James Clark of Interpath Advisory were officially appointed as Joint Administrators on Friday 4 April 2025.

Boardlink, a decades old business was founded in 1966. It was previously known as Hawarden Sheeters, and operated from its site in Hawarden and employed 65 people. The company specialised in carton board sales, conversion and lamination. It was, in fact, one of the UK’s leading producers of paper plates, dual-ovenable trays, and industrial-grade wipes. 

The company boasted a paper plate production capacity of 500 million units per year and a sheeting capacity of 45,000 tonnes. This was also supported by a bespoke 1.6m-wide carton board laminator capable of bonding up to five substrates from reel to sheet.

While the business was trading profitably, with 2023 sales at £14.4m and a 5.32% operating margin, a key supplier of raw materials suddenly terminated its long-standing contract. After this, the leadership company was unable to secure an alternative supplier in time. This left directors with no choice but to cease trading and go forward with the administration process.

51 employees were made redundant immediately upon administration. 14 staff members have been retained to support the Joint Administrators with ongoing duties and efforts to find a buyer. The Redundancy Payments Service is providing on-site support for affected employees, including assistance with redundancy claims. 

Rick Harrison, Managing Director at Interpath, described the collapse as a “tremendous shock,” adding: “Boardlink had been a proud and thriving family business. Through no fault of its own, the rug was pulled from under it.” The company is actively seeking interested parties and urging potential buyers to come forward with their bids.