Global Tissue News

More jobs to be created in toilet roll industry

Tissue manufacturer receives Welsh government financial support for this year

One of the largest suppliers of household paper in the UK, WEPA UK has secured £6 million from the Welsh government to support its expansion plans. 54 jobs will be created and will consequently benefit hundreds of families in the Maesteg region.

According to the Minister for the Economy, Ken Skates, the grant from the Economy Futures Fund will enable WEPA UK to better develop and double its production.

The purchase of a new paper machine will enable the company to produce an additional 65,000 tons per year of toilet paper and kitchen towels.

WEPA UK group managing director Tony Curtis said, “WEPA UK has been working with the Welsh Government on this major project since the concept was first considered and we are grateful for the ongoing support we have received.

In unprecedented times like these, this is a fantastic development for our UK business, particularly for the local community in which we operate, our customers across the UK and our employees who can now plan for the future with greater confidence.

This investment provides additional state-of-the-art production capacity with a major quality upgrade to our product offering; it will also bring our on-site operations to the forefront of sustainability in our industry.

The project provides job protection for our existing workforce of over 270 Bridgend employees and also creates over 50 additional jobs on site.”

Martin Krengel, chief executive of the WEPA Group, added: “With the planned investments, we will be able to meet our customers’ expectations in terms of product quality and sustainability even better in the future. It is important to us to produce for our customers in the UK in their own country.

For the Bridgend site this means a doubling of production capacity.

This information was given when the Welsh government launched this week the Economic Resilience and Reconstruction Mission which determines how the rebuilding of the post-Covid economy in Wales will work, valuing and prioritizing welfare, making it prosperous, helping the country’s residents and at the same time environmentally friendly.

Ken Skates concludes: “WEPA is a vitally important employer in the region, and the £6 million that the Welsh government is investing will be crucial in supporting the local economy at what continues to be an incredibly difficult time.

Source
Insider Media
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