Faerch Plast opens UK manufacturing plant
Food packaging specialist’s ultra modern production facility is operational and geared to meet highest hygiene, quality and environmental standards
FærchPlast A/S – a producer of plastics trays and containers for the food industry – held the Grand Opening of its state-of the-art 14,000 square metre manufacturing facility in the North East of England on 21 June 2012.
Located in Durham, the advanced facility was officially opened by Leader of the local County Council, Councillor Simon Henig and shareholders and members of the well-respected Faerch* family. The day-long event was also attended by representatives of the Board, employees and customers.
Commissioned in November 2011, the new plant has benefitted from a major upgrade and refurbishment, as well as the installation of cutting edge equipment which includes two extruders, six thermoforming machines and the latest robot packing systems.
As a result, the plant has already started producing CPET trays which account for more than 80 per cent of what FaerchPlast sells in the UK.
Operating to the same high hygiene, quality and environmental standards as FaerchPlast’s other factories in Denmark and the Czech Republic, most of the packaging produced at the new facility will be for the ready meal and fresh meat sectors.
Keen to support the local workforce, FaerchPlast has already employed 36 staff at the new plant and pledged to recruit between 100-150 permanent personnel over the next three-four years.
Joe Iannidinardo continues as MD of FaerchPlast’s UK operation, but responsible for the day to day running of the new plant is Senior Plant Manager Anders Jensen, who helped set up the factory in the Czech Republic.
Joe comments: “The team at Durham have done a great job in getting the plant operational in the allotted timeframe. As well as the normal finishing touches you would expect in the months ahead, we also plan to install six further thermoformers by the end of the year.
“Ultra modern production lines have been designed to meet the highest quality and hygiene standards and we are confident that customers will quickly benefit from the closer support and enhanced lead times offered by a local service.”
FærchPlast A/S has also acquired a plot adjacent to the new factory, and as a consequence the Holstebro-based company now has 30,000 square metres of industrial site at its disposal in Durham. This will allow for the possibility of further expansion as demand increases.
This significant investment is part of FærchPlast A/S’s long term strategy of being close to its customers, which means that they, among other things, can achieve a high level of supply security.
FærchPlast A/S CEO Lars Gade Hansen adds: “FærchPlast A/S is excited to declare the new UK plant open and operational. It further underlines our long-term commitment to establishing local businesses to drive the growth of our products in key markets around the world.
He concludes: “The UK will be a major contributor to the company’s future growth and this investment will significantly enhance our service and support capabilities in the country.”
FærchPlast A/S has 509 employees and in 2011 saw revenues of 1039 million Danish Kroner (£113million)
