Huhtamaki invests £5m in Northern Ireland facility
Huhtamaki has made a £4.9m investment in new machinery at its Lurgan site, creating 12 new full-time jobs.
The food and drink packaging firm has seen its customers growing significantly in recent years, driven by population growth and increased egg consumption per head of capita in the UK.
Furthermore, a focus on healthy eating, along with lower price points, have all been pushing egg sales higher, particularly Free Range.
It employs over 200 people and has been manufacturing molded fiber products such as cup carriers, egg cartons and egg trays for 80 years, is expanding its plant capacity to meet the rapid growth of the egg market in the UK and Ireland.
Installation is just getting started and will be completed in early 2016. The new equipment will enable Huhtamaki to expand upon its existing range of products within the molded fiber sector.
Philip Woolsey, general manager of Huhtamaki Lurgan, said: “The investment provides a major boost for the local economy, increasing business for local suppliers and creating 12 full-time jobs, as well as more than 80 temporary jobs while the machinery is being installed. We have also increased our warehousing capacity, with a new facility completed and operational.”
Northern Ireland is proving to be a resilient sector for packaging – with Delta Packaging investing £40m over a five year programme in Belfast.
Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing NI, said: “Manufacturing in Northern Ireland has plenty of good news stories to tell and this investment and job creation by Huhtamaki is certainly one of them.
“For a global company to invest on such a large scale shows the total confidence which it has in the skills base at the Lurgan factory – and the local team should be very proud. Investment in new machinery, job creation and the development of new products are key elements of driving forward the manufacturing sector in Northern Ireland and I look forward to the new machine becoming operational.”
Huhtamäki is a Finnish company, headquartered in Espoo, which manufactures and supplies packaging for various uses. Its primary outputs include cartons and containers for foods and other consumer goods, disposable tableware and films and laminates for such uses as adhesives, plasters and labels.
