Weidenhammer opens new plant in England

The Weidenhammer Packaging Group (WPG), Europe's leading supplier of composite cans, composite drums and plastic containers, will be inaugurating their newest plant in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Construction work on the 11,000 square-metre production facility – where the manufacturing of composite cans is already in production – was completed in July. WPG invested more than £10 million (approx. €11.5 million) in the expansion of its Weidenhammer UK subsidiary. All indications point to continued growth. In early 2012, WPG plan to launch production of high-quality plastic packaging based on In-Mould Labelling technology in Bradford.

The new factory building will be officially inaugurated in mid-November with a grand opening ceremony attended by the Lord Mayor of Bradford and Joachim Baron von Marschall, Minister Counsellor and Head of the Economic and Financial Affairs department of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Great Britain. A new era began for the approximate 60 Weidenhammer UK staff with the relocation of the first production line in late August.

Weidenhammer UK is one of the youngest – and fastest growing – Weidenhammer subsidiaries. In a joint venture with Chesapeake Packaging of the USA, WPG initially assumed responsibility for composite can production operated by the former Field Packaging in Bradford for a year commencing February 2008. At the beginning of 2009, WPG took over production operations completely and 100 per cent of the business. Since then things have been on an upward swing at the site. In just three years, annual production increased by 400 per cent from 12 million composite cans to around 60 million. Turnover increased just as rapidly from £2.5 million (€2.8 million) to a projected £11 million (€12.5 million) in 2012.

The new factory building at Royds Hall Lane provides the necessary space for further expansion in the UK market. Covering approximately 26,000 square metres, the new plant site is situated near the company's Bradford existing plant in Lidget Green. The ground breaking ceremony for the new plant took place shortly after WPG purchased the site in 2010. Following eleven months of construction, the first of three production lines was moved into the new building and launched operations at the end of August 2011. Nearly half of the £10 million (€11.5 million) invested in the new plant was spent on modernisation and new equipment.

In Bradford, the WPG produces composite cans in three different diameters, including 73 and 99 millimetres, along with the British standard size of 93.7 millimetres. The cans are primarily used for snacks, instant drink powders, tobacco and other products. WPG mainly supply these cans to customers in the UK, including leading brand manufacturers like Kraft/Cadbury, United Biscuits, Premier Foods, Japanese Tobacco International and Symington's. The declared aim of Weidenhammer UK in the coming years is to generate additional business with existing customers and to attract new customers to composite cans.

The same benefits are available with packaging solutions from the Weidenhammer Plastic Packaging (WPP) division, which is also opening a production line in the new plant for high-quality plastic packaging based on In-Mould Labelling (IML) technology. Weidenhammer UK laid the foundation for its plastics business in England when they took over the Halifax-based injection moulding specialist L&D Mouldings in July.

Source: Weidenhammer