Where It All Began

Back in the early days of 1969, Colin Thomas and Brian Jackson took on a unique contract: crafting insulated panels made from polystyrene sandwiched between two fire-retardant boards. But there was a snag, the polystyrene boards weren’t flat, making production slow and challenging. But still, the panels quickly gained popularity.

What started in Colin’s garage in Denton, Newhaven soon moved to a small rented unit at Newhaven Joinery Works Ltd on New Road. With room to breathe (and build), Colin and Brian got inventive. Using Dexion and timber, they built their very own hot wire cutting machine, the first of its kind for their operation. And guess what? That original machine is still going strong and remains one of the workhorses of our factory today.

As demand grew, so did the workload. What started as evening and weekend orders quickly became three-day weeks and soon it was clear they needed more space. Colin and Brian took the leap, moving into a two-storey former bakery on Marshal Lane in Newhaven.

To meet rising demand, Paul Japes (PA) joined forces with Brian (BRI) and Colin (CO), and together, the trio officially launched Pabrico Panels Ltd on May 7th, 1970. Their first bold move? Converting and extending a Ford Transit into a custom Luton box van, built from ply and hardboard, to transport extra-long panels no standard van could handle.

The first order? Packaging for 1,000 car radios from a local electronics company. Fittingly, one that shared space in the very building we’re based in today. Hot on the heels of that came their second job: giant 4’ x 4’ x 4’ blocks used to fill voids beneath a bridge in Southampton. A small fire meant the team had to remake part of the order, making it both a challenge and a historic milestone, it remains the only fire ever recorded in the company’s history.

Meanwhile, the team upgraded their original hot wire cutter, doubling its size and powering it with a variable transformer salvaged from a decommissioned minesweeper. (Yes, really!) The big metal wheel on the front? It let them crank up or cool down the heat with precision, bringing a whole new level of control to their process.

Later that same year, they added three more machines to the lineup, giving them the ability to cut polystyrene to any size their customers could dream up.

Ever the entrepreneurs, Colin and Brian spotted an opportunity to branch out. They acquired a small transport company, complete with a 40-tonne HGV and a unit on Avis Way, Newhaven, and rebranded it PAB-Transport. From there, they rolled into the logistics game, moving fresh vegetables from the harbour to London’s bustling markets and even exporting goods to destinations as far-flung as Kano, Africa.

Eventually, the original site on Marshal Lane was compulsorily purchased, but the team didn’t miss a beat. They just relocated around the corner from PAB, settling into a spacious double unit on Avis Way, marking yet another leap forward in Pabrico’s journey.

In the late 70s, we received an order that became our ultimate claim to fame: contributing to the iconic Ice Cave set for Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. Tasked with crafting long polystyrene panels featuring wavy cut-outs, they was designed to mimic the look of carved ice. Cleverly, each panel featured larger shapes on one side, creating the illusion of depth and scale, making the set appear far more expansive than it actually was.

At the time, no-one at Pabrico could have imagined that this project would be part of what would become the biggest movie franchise in history. Many of the designs were personally signed off by George Lucas himself. Though no photographs of the order were ever taken and the original designs have sadly been lost to time, we still recall delivering the panels to Elstree Studios and being given a tour of the original Millennium Falcon, a surreal moment for any Star Wars fan.

As time moved on, so did the faces behind Pabrico. Paul stepped away to pursue other ventures, and shortly after, Brian set off on his adventure of a lifetime, emigrating to Australia. With Brian’s departure, PAB Transport and the Avis Way unit were sold, paving the way for the next stage of growth.

Enter Nigel Bishop, who joined forces with Colin to help steer the ship. Once again, the business had outgrown its space (a familiar theme!) and moved to a larger unit at Cradle Hill Industrial Estate in Seaford, making room for bigger ideas and even bigger opportunities.

And just to prove we don’t always take ourselves too seriously, in 1983, the Pabrico team grabbed their paddles and entered a local charity raft race down the River Ouse from Lewes to Newhaven. We crossed the finish line in a very respectable 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 45 seconds, but the real victory? We were proudly crowned Best Dressed by the judges. A win in both fashion and floatation.

In true resourceful fashion, part of the now-famous raft got a second moment in the spotlight, joining the Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. team bus in a celebratory parade as the club reached the FA Cup final.

As polystyrene’s popularity soared, the company embraced a new identity and rebranded as Expanded Polystyrene Supplies (EPS) a name at that time, better reflected its growing presence and expertise in the industry.

Later that same year, EPS landed a prestigious contract to produce hamper packaging for Harrods, supplying the iconic London store with custom packaging for their luxury Christmas hampers, an annual tradition that became a proud highlight for the company.

Following a few small setbacks, EPS made a strategic move to scale more sustainably, building a second, more compact unit on the Cradle Hill site and selling the original unit to Everett Tiles. It was a smart step in a journey marked by clever thinking and creative resilience.

In 1993, the company celebrated a major milestone when it landed one of its largest-ever orders from the Ministry of Defence, supplying towering 4-metre targets for tank training exercises. The scope of the project was huge, involving years of planning, material testing, and design sampling to get everything just right. Nigel’s passing on 15 January 1994 brought a momentary stillness, but the groundwork he had laid guided the company toward a secure and promising future.

In the late 90s, we were once again called upon to contribute to the world of Star Wars, this time for their latest instalment: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

Our first task was to help shape the underwater world of the Gungans, a luminous bubble-like city nestled beneath a lake. We created a series of towering polystyrene forms, some reaching up to 3 metres tall, each designed to reflect the organic, flowing architecture shown in the concept visuals. These intricate shapes were precision machine-cut and hand-sculpted to bring them to life. Fibreglass moulds were then taken from our originals, allowing the production team to replicate the structures with consistency across the set.

Our second mission involved crafting 3 distinct Naboo speedsters, each designed with meticulous detail. Using hundreds of profile-cut pieces, we built the core squared-off structures according to the supplied blueprints. The film crew then took over, carving and refining the curves to match the futuristic aesthetic. Once perfected, fibreglass moulds were made to produce exact copies, with several vehicles destined for dramatic on-screen destruction in action-packed battle scenes.

By the turn of the millennium, EPS was on the move once more, this time in search of more space to grow. On 7 January 2000, the company proudly purchased a new building on Denton Island, Newhaven, which still serves as our vibrant home today. Though the building was derelict when acquired, six months of dedicated renovation transformed it into a thriving hub of activity. EPS officially made the leap from Cradle Hill on 3 July 2000, with the former site eventually sold in 2001.

Embracing a more sustainable future, EPS also took a proactive step for the planet by investing in a polystyrene compactor. This clever piece of kit compresses waste into compact briquettes, ready to be melted down and repurposed into fresh materials, turning yesterday’s scraps into tomorrow’s innovations.

Colin’s son, Grant, who had long been immersed in the company’s day-to-day operations, stepped in to take the reins. His familiarity with how things ran made for a seamless transition. At the top of his agenda was the installation of a pre-fabricated extension from Kitpac. Alongside this, mezzanine floors were added to both the main factory and the new build. The extension, primarily used for storage, quickly earned its affectionate nickname ‘The Shed’.

As technology accelerated, Pabrico adapted swiftly. The launch of our very first website marked a significant shift. Prior to that, we proudly thrived on word of mouth alone, with no formal advertising. Hot on its heels came a state-of-the-art CNC router, imported from the USA, opening the door to precision like never before. Its debut project? Signage for Pizza Express: lettering formed from cutlery-shaped grooves routered into polystyrene boards, with actual knives and forks hand-fitted into place. (You can find an image of this on our Display page.)

In 2009, we took on what remains one of our most demanding projects to date: crafting the 30ft curved wall at the O2 Arena, still proudly standing today. Over 100 individual pieces, each standing 6ft tall and uniquely shaped, were meticulously designed, numbered, and delivered in precise order to ensure a seamless build without disrupting other trades. The structure was finished with a fine polystyrene render and illuminated with an array of LED lights, all completed on schedule.

Next came a shift toward sustainability, as Pabrico took decisive steps to reduce its environmental impact. We installed 51 solar panels, harnessing clean energy and contributing back to the grid. Our recycling practices were overhauled, ensuring 100% of off-cuts and returned polystyrene were properly recycled. We also invited customers to return both new and used polystyrene, helping keep the material out of landfill. To further reduce energy consumption, every light across the facility, inside and out, was upgraded to low-voltage LEDs

In 2013, the factory was hit by flash flooding, submerging the entire space under more than a foot of water. The office and all of its computers were lost, though, fortunately most data was successfully recovered. On the shop floor, several machines and completed orders awaiting dispatch were damaged beyond repair. Once the river water was cleared out, the long-overdue renovation of the office and factory entrance began, this time with added measures to protect equipment, infrastructure, and operations from future flooding.

By 2018, Pabrico had firmly established itself at the forefront of lettering and display work for high-profile events and exhibitions, crafting standout pieces for some of the world’s leading companies. Always pushing creative boundaries, we developed innovative, previously unseen techniques to meet ambitious design briefs, ranging from digitally printed finishes to suspended clear acrylic elements that gave logos the illusion of floating, and robust concrete features engineered for outdoor durability.

However, by the end of 2019, the arrival of Covid brought the events industry to a standstill, placing all orders on indefinite hold. Despite the uncertainty, Pabrico remained operational in a reduced capacity, proudly supporting the NHS and the MOD with essential services during a critical time.

In 2023, four decades after our first daring attempt, we made our return to the legendary Lewes to Newhaven Raft Race, again aboard a raft crafted entirely from polystyrene (with just a few support battens for lifting). Braving the river once more, we crossed the finish line in a respectable 2 hours and 35 minutes, earning 5th place on the podium. We raised nearly £600 for Bowel Cancer UK and claimed the coveted Best Decorated Raft title once again. A nod to nostalgia, a triumph of teamwork, and a splash of style, we couldn’t be prouder.

In 2025, With a fresh website, exciting opportunities on the horizon, and powerful new machinery incoming, we’re marking a bold return to our roots. This year, we proudly reintroduce ourselves as Pabrico Panels, a name born from imagination, built on originality, and revived to reflect our one-of-a-kind approach. Reclaiming our original name isn’t just a rebrand, it’s a statement. In a world full of sameness, Pabrico stands apart.

Because sometimes the best way to move forward… is to go back to where it all began.

Our story is still being written and we’d love you to be part of it.