Is it better to lease or buy a canning line?

It depends on your strategy. Hire purchase (buying) is often preferred for core equipment you intend to keep long-term, as you build equity in the asset. Leasing is useful if you want lower upfront costs or anticipate needing to upgrade to a faster line in a few years.

Can we finance a used canning line?

Yes. There is a strong secondary market for packaging equipment. We can arrange finance for used lines purchased from reputable dealers, though lenders may require a valuation or limit the term length based on the age of the asset.

What deposit will we need?

Hire purchase may require a deposit and upfront VAT, while finance lease commonly spreads VAT across rentals. Exact initial payments and tax treatment depend on the agreement, so confirm them for your business before proceeding.

Will lenders fund equipment from North American suppliers?

Yes. Many leading canning line manufacturers are based in North America. We use specialist lenders experienced in handling international suppliers, foreign exchange payments, and import logistics.

Packaging Finance

Finance for canning, bottling & packaging lines

Bringing packaging in-house dramatically improves margins, but requires major capital expenditure. We arrange asset finance for canning and bottling equipment so you can scale efficiently.

Speak to an Adviser Breweries Hub

Speak with Arran or Graham

1-5 years

Finance terms

New & Used

Asset types

150+

Lender panel

£0

Broker fees

Funding packaging automation

Independent broker with an extensive panel of 150+ UK lenders. No upfront fees.

Improve Margins Without Losing Cash

Moving away from mobile canning or contract bottling significantly reduces per-unit costs. Asset finance allows you to acquire the machinery immediately, paying for it over time using the increased profit margin it generates.

Flexible Finance Structures

Choose Hire Purchase if you want to own the line outright at the end of the term, or a Finance Lease if you prefer to minimise upfront costs by paying the VAT monthly alongside your rentals.

Complete System Funding

Packaging lines are complex. We can source finance that covers the filler, seamer, labeller, date coder, and accumulation tables as a single funded project, rather than trying to finance individual components separately.

Scale Up Options

As your volumes grow, you may need to move from a manual 2-head filler to a fully automated rotary line. We work with lenders who understand this growth curve and can help restructure finance to facilitate equipment upgrades.

Packaging equipment we finance

Specialist finance options to match your requirements.

Inline & rotary canning lines

Bottling machinery

Seamers & cappers

Pressure sensitive labellers

Shrink sleeving machines

Date & batch coders

Depalletisers

Rinsers & air blowers

Accumulation & conveyor systems

Case packers & cartoners

Pallet wrappers

Quality control & testing

Who you could speak to

Arran Turner

Managing Director

General commercial finance and how Sorbus works

Profile

Graham Nash

Commercial Finance Director

Business loans, cash flow and wider commercial funding

Profile

STEP 1
A conversation with a broker
You talk to a real Sorbus broker about the business, the purpose and what is affordable. No application at this stage.
STEP 2
Credit placement
If you choose to go further, we prepare the case and decide which lenders on our panel of 150+ are worth approaching.
STEP 3
Lender assessment
The lender, not Sorbus, underwrites and makes the credit decision. Approval is never guaranteed.
STEP 4
Documentation
If a lender offers terms and you accept, we help coordinate agreements and payout paperwork with you.

Every step after the first is optional. You can stop after the conversation. Sorbus is a broker, not a lender.

Client journey

Explore real client journeys

Read how real businesses approached a funding goal, what Sorbus arranged and what happened next.

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Enquire about Canning & Bottling Line Finance

Start with a conversation

Tell us a little about what you need and who you would like to speak to. No obligation, no credit check at this stage. We aim to respond within one business day, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm.

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01246 383500

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Unique to Sorbus Finance

Optional: Business Finance Health Check

Before you approach lenders, understand your borrowing readiness with our free Business Finance Health Check, tailored for UK businesses.

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Questions answered

Common queries about packaging finance.

Ready to bring packaging in-house?

Speak to our manufacturing finance specialists to find the most competitive funding for your new canning or bottling line.

01246 383500 Breweries Hub