Liverpool sustainable packaging firm Green Bell Packaging secures second £100,000 investment via River Capital leading to new jobs. Tony McDonough reports

Sustainable packaging firm Green Bell Packaging has secured its second £100,000 investment in three years.

River Capital is providing a £100,000 loan to Green Bell through NPIF II – River Capital & GC Business Finance Smaller Loans. This is managed by River Capital & GC Business Finance as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.

This cash injection will provide the venture with the working capital to fulfil larger orders and increase its employee headcount, creating five new employees in Liverpool

It marks the second round of funding provided by River Capital to the business, following an initial £100,000 investment in November 2021 from the first Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund I.

Green Bell, which has also received support from the LCR Finance Hub, which provided forecasting assistance to help plan for sustainable growth, will use the funding to scale up the business and invest heavily in its marketing.

Having initially established the business in 2018 to serve UK retailers shifting away from plastic bags, managing director, Vahid Nagori, and his team established a strong customer base for eco-friendly bags during the pandemic before diversifying into food packaging in 2022.

They now supply cafes, restaurants, bakeries and chains with a wide range of sustainable products with major customers including Middlewich Food Trays, Lola Cupcakes, Morplan and German Doner Kebab.

Vahid said: “We are grateful for River Capital’s ongoing support, which has been instrumental in helping us navigate challenges and pursue new opportunities.

“This additional funding will accelerate our plans to become a leading provider of eco-friendly food packaging across the UK. We look forward to making key hires, ramping up our marketing efforts and delivering unmatched service to our valued clients.”

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Upcoming plans include a company rebranding, a new e-commerce website, catalogues, trade show attendance and digital advertising.

Sue Chambers, investment manager at River Capital, added: “Vahid has demonstrated great resilience and ability to adapt to changing market conditions over the past three years.

“Having seen Green Bell’s progress, including timely repayment of the initial loan and operational improvements, we are delighted to extend this second facility. The NPIF II funding will support Vahid’s growth plans and continued profitability.”