York company, cards-x, is championing British manufacturing after producing and selling more than 5 million security ID card holders and turning over almost £500,000, in the last six months alone and despite the pandemic.
The firm is now expanding its team as it launches the world’s first completely biodegradable card holder.
cards-x is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of security products, ID cards, and the specialist print equipment used to create them. The German based company expanded into the UK last autumn, opening a new base at Malton near York.
In December, cards-x then acquired Evohold, which manufactures ID card holders, and the company now produces hundreds of thousands of card holders each week, which are exported to countries throughout the world.
To meet this rising demand, cards-x has appointed Craig Kail to oversee the manufacturing process and Charlotte Hoggard has joined the customer services team, managing the distribution of completed products. Further investments, in both staff and machinery, are planned in the coming months as the company continues to expand its product range.
Its latest product to hit the market is the world’s first fully biodegradable ID card holder. It uses innovative technology to significantly increase the biodegradation rate of polymers in anaerobic microbe rich environments such as landfill and oceans. The product complements Evohold’s existing range which includes recyclable, compostable and antimicrobial products, as well as detectable products that include metal particles.
The UK division of cards-x, which is a ‘Made In Britain’ member, is headed up by managing director, Andy Reeves. He said: “Since expanding into the UK and then acquiring Evohold late last year, we’ve enjoyed a very busy six months with high demand across our product range and particularly for our card holders. As the only manufacturer of these products in the UK, we’re now on target to surpass 12 million units a year.
“The appointment of Charlotte and Craig, combined with further investment in new machinery, will support this growth. Craig brings a wealth of experience in the plastics industry to the role and Charlotte has spent more than five years working in customer services and has immediately hit the ground running.”
Andy continued: “Our new biodegradable card holder is proving very popular and particularly with businesses and organisations that are keen to demonstrate their green credentials. Our innovative technology means it biodegrades approximately five times quicker than conventional plastic.
“This launch also coincides with many countries banning the use of oxo-degradable plastics. Until recently these were marketed as a solution to plastic waste, but it was discovered they actually fragment into smaller pieces, known as microplastics, but don’t break down at a molecular or polymer level like biodegradable plastics, making them a major contributor to plastic pollution.
“This makes it a really exciting time to be adding this pioneering product to our range of recyclable, compostable, antimicrobial and detectable card holders, as well as flying the flag for eco-friendly British manufacturing.”
