Germany-based Weidenhammer Packaging Group has officially inaugurated its newest plant in Bradford, in the north of England, for the manufacture of composite cans.
The company has invested 11.5 million Euros in the expansion of its Weidenhammer UK subsidiary, nearly half of which was spent on modernisation and new equipment.
Production is already under way at the 11,000 sqm facility, where 11 months of construction work was completed in July.
The first of three production lines was moved into the new building and launched operations at the end of August 2011. The site currently produces composite cans – primarily used for snacks, instant drink powders, tobacco and other products – in three different diameters, including 73 and 99 millimetres, along with the British standard size of 93.7 millimetres.
In early 2012 the company intends to launch production of high-quality plastic packaging, based on its In-Mould Labelling technology, at the Bradford site.
“We now have ultra-modern production lines that meet the highest hygiene standards along with state-of-the-art quality management”, said Paul Barber, general manager Weidenhammer UK. “Our packaging production facility is currently one of the most advanced in the whole UK”.
The grand opening ceremony at the new Bradford facility was attended by German Embassy economic and financial affairs department head Joachim Baron von Marschall, as well as the Lord Mayor of Bradford.
Europe's leading supplier of composite cans, composite drums and plastic containers, Weidenhammer Packaging Group has 12 production sites, 1000 employees and projected annual sales of over GBP 200 million in 2011. Founded in Hockenheim, Germany in 1955, the family-owned enterprise has evolved over the last 50 years to become a market and technology leader in its sector.
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.
Weidenhammer's new UK plant, Bradford
