News

Seda UK, the UK food packaging arm of Italy-based Seda International and a major supplier of McDonald's, is expanding its production facility in South Wales, a move that will create a further 55 jobs in the region.

The packaging firm, which has received grant aid from the Welsh Assembly Government to help finance its expansion, is investing a further £4m in its Hawtin Park, Blackwood factory to expand its range and introduce new technology to the plant.

The company will use the investment to broaden its paper cup production and to introduce thermoforming, primarily to manufacture lids for hot and cold drinks containers for fast-food outlets. These are currently manufactured at Seda's continental plants.

Seda opened the factory five years ago with an investment of about £30m, with the support of a regional selective assistance grant from the Welsh Assembly. The Welsh factory now produces a range of packaging, including paper cups for hot and cold drinks and containers for dairy products. It manufactures millions of units a day and mainly supplies clients in the UK and Ireland.

Lorenzo Angelucci, Seda UK's managing director, said: "The investment into the new plastics process will underpin our ability in the UK to provide innovative, high quality and effective solutions for all kinds of applications using a wide range of materials, as well as printing and converting technologies."

The privately owned Seda International Packaging Group is headquartered in Naples and has operations in eight European countries. Its clients include Coca-Cola, Danone, Nestle and McDonald's. Last year, Seda's Welsh factory won Supplier of the Year award from the fast-food chain.