The origin of Riggs Autopack dates back to the early 1930's when the founding business was established as Autopack Ltd and based in Birmingham, England. During the late 1940's, the business moved to larger premises in Malvern, Worcestershire, where it stayed until 1991.

Autopack Ltd built high quality dry goods handling machinery ie. auger fillers, vibratory weighers and drum filling machines, supplied to the food and cosmetic industry's. As the company evolved, it became the UK's largest manufacturer in it's field. At it's height during the 1980's, they employed in excess of 200 people and exported to over 50 countries.

In 1989, Autopack Ltd purchased Tri-Tech Systems Ltd, a UK manufacturer of high quality piston pump depositors and filling machines supplied to the food production industry. This food manufacturing equipment was added to the Autopack Ltd catalogue and today represent the origin of Riggs Autopack's Model 1000 volumetric depositors and filling machines.

Autopack Ltd was itself purchased by the Fort Vale Group in 1991 and integrated with Riggs Bros Ltd, an established Fort Vale Group member, thus forming Riggs Autopack Ltd. The business was re-located to Nelson, Lancashire, where the company remains to this day. 

Riggs Autopack is a proud member of The Fort Vale Group. The group's parent company Fort Vale Engineering was founded in 1967 by the current Chairman Mr Edward S. Fort OBE, and is a world leader in the precision manufacture of valves and fittings for road, rail and ISO containers.

The Fort Vale Engineering headquarters is based in Simonstone, Lancashire, and the company has branches situated throughout the world including USA, Russia, China, Singapore, Australia and The Netherlands. 

Over the years, a collection of associate UK companies has been developed within the Fort Vale Group, mostly within the engineering industry and all managed independently. Within the group, our sister companies include Francis Searchlights Ltd, Midland Investment Castings Ltd, Sparta Ltd, Betabite Hydraulics Ltd and Troy Innovations Ltd.