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Gable Asset Finance specialises in arranging tailored equipment finance for the UK packaging industry. Whether you manufacture for food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics or general retail, modern packaging operations depend on automated, semi-automatic and manual machinery to fill, seal, label, wrap and palletise products efficiently and compliantly. We help businesses of all sizes access funding for filling machines, weighing systems, sealing units, labellers, conveyors, cartoners, thermoformers, palletisers, robotic packaging lines and all the ancillary kit and consumables that keep your lines moving.
Gable Asset Finance arrange business finance on packaging equipment used across sectors, finance options available in the UK, key commercial and tax considerations, sustainability and regulatory trends influencing investment, practical case studies, lender expectations and a step-by-step application checklist designed to get you from enquiry to operational plant with confidence.
Packaging machinery is strategic capital: it increases speed, quality and consistency; reduces labour costs; improves compliance and traceability; and supports product innovation. The ability to automate repetitive tasks such as filling, weighing, capping, sealing, wrapping, labelling and palletising directly affects throughput, margin and customer satisfaction. For processors, brand owners and contract packers, access to modern machinery can be the difference between winning contracts and falling behind competitors.
However, packaging machinery is capital intensive. Modern automated lines — particularly those that integrate robotics, high-speed multihead weighers, and in-line checkweighers — represent significant investment. Asset finance enables businesses to acquire or upgrade equipment while preserving working capital for stock, marketing and growth.
Below are the common categories of packaging machinery our clients ask us to finance. Each equipment category has different useful life expectations, residual values and finance suitability — which we factor into structuring the right deal.
Packaging equipment is used across a broad set of verticals. The financing structure may differ by application due to regulatory requirements, margins and asset life.
Investment in packaging equipment improves output, quality and competitiveness — but outright purchase can be prohibitive. Finance offers multiple commercial benefits:
Gable Asset Finance organises the full range of funding products to suit the packaging sector. Below we detail the most common structures and when they are most appropriate.
How it works: The lender purchases the equipment and hires it to you. You make fixed repayments; ownership transfers after the final payment (or through a token payment).
Best for: Businesses that want ownership and to claim capital allowances — especially for long-life equipment such as palletisers, filling lines and bindery machine assets.
How it works: Similar to HP but the legal ownership stays with the funder. You pay rentals that cover asset cost and interest; often a purchase option is available at the end.
Best for: Businesses that want long-term use but prefer the funder to manage residual risk.
How it works: You rent the equipment for a contracted period and return or upgrade at term end. The funder typically manages remarketing and residual value.
Best for: Rapidly evolving technology (e.g. robotic cells, vision systems) or when keeping balance sheet light is preferred.
How it works: A standard loan to buy equipment outright. You own from day one and repay capital plus interest.
Best for: Businesses that prefer immediate ownership and have strong balance sheets or want to include installation and civil works in the purchase price.
How it works: Sell owned equipment to a funder and lease it back. This releases capital while retaining operational use.
Best for: Companies with significant capital tied up in machinery who want to unlock liquidity for expansion or working capital.
How it works: Staged drawdowns aligned with project milestones for greenfield factory builds, major line installations or complex integration projects.
Best for: Multi-million-pound projects including facility fit-out, installation, commissioning and validation.
How it works: Refinance existing assets — including machinery and sometimes property — to release capital that can be redeployed into new equipment or operations.
Best for: Growing businesses needing immediate cash for supply chain or expansion without seeking new lending lines.
Short-term facilities such as invoice discounting, factoring or overdrafts are used alongside asset finance to fund raw materials, packaging substrates and seasonal peaks.
Packaging equipment should be financed with a term that reflects its useful life and residual value. Typical recommendations:
Tax and accounting position influences the optimal finance choice. Always consult your accountant, but common points include:
VAT on purchases can usually be reclaimed by VAT-registered businesses. For leasing, VAT is applied to rental payments and may be reclaimable depending on use and VAT status.
Plant and machinery purchased may qualify for capital allowances. The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) rules and other special allowances change over time — consult a tax adviser to optimise timing.
Changes in accounting standards mean many leases now need to be capitalised on the balance sheet. This may affect covenants and metrics — speak to your finance team when selecting operating vs finance lease structures.
Industry drivers are shifting investment priorities. The growth of e-commerce, consumer demand for sustainable packaging, and tightening regulation are shaping what packaging companies buy and how they fund it.
Lenders and grant bodies are increasingly supportive of investments that reduce energy consumption, increase recycled content use, and lower lifecycle environmental impact. Gable Asset Finance can help blend traditional asset finance with green grants and sustainability-linked facilities where applicable.
Preparing a strong funding pack speeds approvals and improves terms. Lenders typically request:
Background: A mid-sized snack manufacturer needed to increase capacity and reduce giveaway by installing multihead weighers and a high-speed cartoner.
Solution: Gable Asset Finance structured an HP facility for the weighers and a finance lease for the cartoner. The package included vendor warranties and a maintenance reserve.
Result: Throughput increased by 45%, margin improved due to reduced giveaway and the manufacturer secured two large supermarket contracts.
Background: A growing cosmetics brand required precise filling lines and print-and-apply labellers to support product launches and export growth.
Solution: A blended package of asset loan for bulk of CAPEX and operating lease for telemetry-enabled labellers allowed flexible upgrades.
Result: The brand reduced time-to-market, improved quality control and expanded into three new international markets.
Background: A contract packer had mature lines but capital was constrained for a new e-commerce fulfilment cell.
Solution: Sale & leaseback of selected older equipment unlocked capital to invest in a new pick-and-pack robotic cell; the packer leased back the older lines at competitive rentals.
Result: The business funded the new cell without new external equity, increased throughput and won long-term e-commerce clients.
Yes. Lenders will assess condition, service history and expected residual value. Independent inspection reports and full maintenance records improve acceptance and terms.
Deposit requirements vary by lender, asset type and borrower credit profile. Typical deposits range from 0% (promotional or strong credit) to 20–30% for specialised or older assets. Vendor finance can sometimes reduce upfront payments.
Simple HP or lease deals can be arranged within days to a couple of weeks. Project finance for complex installations may take several weeks to complete due diligence and legal documentation.
Yes — many lenders will include installation, commissioning and even training costs in the financed amount where these are invoiced by the supplier as part of a bundled package.
Projects that reduce energy consumption, increase recycled content, or improve environmental performance may attract preferential finance terms, green lending facilities, or grant blending to lower the net cost of capital.
Contact Gable Asset Finance with your equipment list, supplier quotes and most recent accounts. We’ll provide an initial assessment, illustrate likely finance routes and prepare a tailored proposal to get your project moving.
Gable Asset Finance believe that technical solutions to the packaging and processing sector can provide a competitive edge as well as performance, productivity and reliability. To this end we can arrange business finance and leasing on new, used or reconditioned complete lines to single pieces of equipment or machinery.
With many years experience providing business finance and leasing services to the weighing and packing industry arranging business finance and leasing on equipment and machinery such as:
Our client list includes market leaders in
The team at Gable Asset Finance work hard to meet our clients’ needs and provide intelligent and creative solutions based on deep industry experience. Please call us today or apply online for advice or a competitive quote.