Essentra opens new label manufacturing facility in Wales

The investment includes a 52,000 sq ft facility from which Essentra said it will be able to meet the growing demands of both existing and new business across its target end markets. To this end, Essentra recently acquired Clondalkin Group’s Specialist Packaging Division.  

The Newport site incorporates Essentra’s latest investment in digital printing and a cleanroom for production of primary packaging foils for the healthcare market. To ensure the exacting requirements are met for this new product, the cleanroom meets the Class 8 ISO standards and is the first for Essentra, enabling it to better service its healthcare customers from the Newport site.#

The factory also meets Essentra’s internal standards for quality, and has already gained the triple certification of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS as well as the BRC/IoP global standard for packaging and packaging materials.

The Newport site currently employs 66 people with plans for further expansion, as per Essentra’s growth ambitions.

The Newport facility was officially opened by Essentra chairman Jeff Harris and chief executive officer Colin Day in front of employees and economy minister Edwina Hart from the Welsh Government, which supported the investment with 290,000 GBP (around 454,000 USD) of business finance.

Harris said: ‘Our Essentra facility at Newport represents a substantial investment in our label and primary packaging capabilities, and ensures we have the best operational footprint and necessary space to meet the growing needs of the healthcare and consumer packaging markets we serve.

‘Our new site is a world class operation with the best in cleanroom technology, and builds on the strong reputation we have developed as Essentra from our other locations in order to serve our customers worldwide.’

Hart added: ‘I am delighted that Essentra – a global leader in healthcare packaging – is investing in Wales and creating a state-of-the art centre of expertise which is creating and safeguarding jobs. Attracting a company of this calibre is great news and a vote of confidence in Welsh manufacturing and capability.’

Pictured (from left): Essentra chairman Jeff Harris, economy minister Edwina Hart and Essentra CEO Colin Day