November 2025 saw James Couldwell appointed as the new managing director of Reiser, marking the next chapter in his leadership journey in the processing and packaging equipment market.
Couldwell made his mark at ULMA Packaging UK, where he not only served as managing director but also head of finance.
His strong leadership qualities can be seen in the packaging company’s positive growth. And while Reiser is a bigger beast to master, Couldwell is keen to continue his successful track record and drive further positive growth at the firm.
‘Accountants rule the world’
The new Reiser UK boss started his career in finance, having worked as an assistant accountant for City Estates for eight years, before moving to start-up Split the Bills in 2014, where he led the finance team.
In 2016, he joined ULMA Packaging, initially as financial controller and then as business manager for machine sales. He remained in sales for the next few years, including during this time spent at GEA Food Solutions where he moved to in 2020.
After two years at GEA, he returned to ULMA as managing director – staying put until October 2025 before taking the helm at Reiser UK the following month.
“It was always my ambition to become a managing director by the time I was 40,” Couldwell told Food Manufacture. “With a bit of luck and a lot of hard work I achieved that a few years early – I was 36 when I became ULMA’s MD.”
Couldwell said his leadership ambitions started around the age of 18, explaining that he’s always had an “entrepreneurial” spirit.
“I’ve always tried to do a few things differently and keep multiple plates spinning,” he added.
Unable to pinpoint the exact moment that ignited the spark, he joked that it was perhaps a comment made by a fellow accountant he used to work with: “They told me that accountants rule the world.”
Perhaps not the world, but Couldwell’s certainly proving his prowess, with ULMA Packaging UK seeing an approximate turnover increase of 120% under his watch.
Alongside a solid financial head, Couldwell says his strength lies in how he views the world. He describes himself as a “unique accountant” with an ability to views things differently.
“I’ve never accepted the norm,” he said, citing moments in his life when he has carved his own path – including the setup of an energy consultancy in his 20s.
Making Reiser even stronger
And the new Reiser MD will undoubtedly bring that mentality into the equipment firm, coupled with his hands-on approach – which he owes a lot of growth at ULMA to.
Since becoming a managing director for the first time four years ago, I’ve always believed in being involved with the day to day running of the business.
But he added that he also appreciates Reiser’s established role in the sector and that much of his first year will be spent getting to know and understand the people that drive it.
“I will have a one-to-one with everybody in the business – for them to get to know me, and me them. As an MD, you are a facilitator and you have to look after the people and the process.”
As for the overall business ethos, Couldwell said: “The vision isn’t going to change. It’s really about looking at ways we can continue working with customers, being closer connected and making people aware of our offerings. There’s many people that don’t realise we have a R&D department and such fantastic facilities in Milton Keynes.”
The vision Couldwell refers to is what drew him to the business in the first place.
“I really like the goal that Reiser has: to become the most trusted supplier in the industry by bringing value to our customers,” he said.
One way the business does this, as Couldwell referenced, is through its customer centre in Milton Keynes – a specialist facility that allows existing and prospective customers to trial their products, test out Reiser machinery, and train teams.
“The customer centre is quite a unique proposition for a UK business – to be able to offer the services of testing such a wide range of equipment and having a nice kitchen to cook it in and test. It allows you to do such a wide range of work; even in my first week there were eight visits!”
Alongside its working test kitchens, the company can also store products fresh and frozen in anticipation for customers to come and run tests. A variety of tooling is also in stock for all machines, meaning visitors can benefit from demos and “see a lot in action”.
Couldwell also pointed to the business’s strong stock holding of machinery and spare parts – which he says is a “rarity” in the sector – as another indicator of its customer-focused ethos; enabling the company to quickly help businesses should they need it.
Specialists at Reiser
The centre is also home to specialist R&D professionals, which Couldwell says isn’t widely known.
But in fact, experts are on hand to help with recipe development and show businesses how smaller processes can be scaled up.
Dedicated bays allow visitors to test machinery out, meaning customers not only get bespoke solutions but can forge a path towards those solutions without having to pause their current production for test runs.
If you have an idea, you can use our facility as your test centre and we can create those products together.
“It’s all about making the customer’s life a little easier. There’s a huge amount on offer,” added Couldwell, who is intending to shout far and wide about the firm’s R&D capabilities.
The business is also now in the process of making its site “even better” and is looking at installing a vertical carousel racking system.
This kind of setup allows the entire height of a warehouse to be utilised, with the right stock being lowered with a simple barcode scan. It means space is used more efficiently and will allow for more stock holding.
As automation in food and drink continues to pick up pace, in light of labour shortages and increased costs, Couldwell says Reiser will continue to invest in its holistic services, enabling customers to develop timely, trendy products in a more efficient and affordable manner.
