U K
The information below comes from the
UK Activity Report.
Stuart Crystal is to shed 46 of the 380 jobs at its glassmaking factory in Wordsley. 22-Dec-2000
Melville Dundas has won a £10m contract to build a new printing facility for Scottish Media Group at Cambuslang near Glasgow. 21-Dec-2000
British Polythene Industries has defeated a £114m hostile takeover bid from Macfarlane, ending three months of disagreements between the two companies. 18-Dec-2000
James Upton is to shed 36 of the 153 jobs at its Birmingham-based CD packaging business by February. 13-Dec-2000
British Polythene Industries is to close a polythene factory in Workington and distribution depots in Nottingham, Birmingham and Newcastle, with the loss of 75 jobs. 13-Dec-2000
Edrington, the distiller, is to close its cooperage at Lochwinnoch in Ayrshire with the loss of 46 jobs, although some staff will be relocated to a new site at West Calder in West Lothian. 06-Dec-2000
British Alcan is to close the steel mill at its aluminium foil plant at Rogerstone, South Wales, in June 2001 with the loss of 220 jobs, but the larger sheet mill operation will remain. 05-Dec-2000
Field Boxmore is closing its pharmaceutical packaging factory in Eastleigh with the loss of 70 jobs, and production has already been transferred to Leicester, Bedford and Limerick. 29-Nov-2000
API is to close its metallised paper factory in Macclesfield and its laminates factory in Rochdale with the loss of 110 jobs, and production will be moved to sites in Caerphilly, Cheshire and Livingston. 24-Nov-2000
De La Rue is seeking suitable acquisitions to expand its banknote and security services business, and could spend up to £180m. 23-Nov-2000
The government has launched the Waste & Resource Action Programme, which will encourage local authorities to work with businesses to create new markets for recycled materials. 16-Nov-2000
Rexam has announced plans to close packaging factories in Poole and Whitehaven with the loss of 350 jobs, and production will be moved to other sites. 07-Nov-2000
Huhtamaki Van Leer is to shed 12 of the 24 jobs at its plastics printing department in Gosport, due to a fall in the workload. 01-Nov-2000
Yorkshire Forward has announced that Flexible Vision is setting up a £1m packaging production facility at Sherburn in North Yorkshire, and expects to create 34 jobs over the next three years. 01-Nov-2000
Environmental Polymers, the developer of plastics that dissolve in water after use, is planning to raise about £3m in a share placing on Aim in order to equip a new factory near Manchester. 30-Oct-2000
British Polythene Industries is to close its Flexer Sacks factory in Portslade with the loss of up to 54 jobs, in order to relocate production to plants in Glasgow and Teesside. 25-Oct-2000
Ex-Press Plastics is to extend its plastic components factory in Norfolk with the creation of 30 jobs, following its buy-out from Low & Bonar. 16-Oct-2000
Stora Enso is to close its paper mill in Tadcaster next year with the loss of 170 jobs, due to a fall in demand for its packaging board products. 12-Oct-2000
St Ives is looking to spend up to £100m on acquisitions to expand its printing business. 11-Oct-2000
G-Plas, the Gwent-based manufacturer of PVC film for the packaging industry, has received a £0.5m venture capital investment from 3i, and plans to double its output over the next three years. 11-Oct-2000
Field Group is planning to close its carton packaging operation in Thatcham, with the loss of up to 175 jobs. 10-Oct-2000
Gardners Books is to set up a new printing plant in Eastbourne with the creation of 200 jobs. 09-Oct-2000
SCA is to close its hygiene products factory in Dunstable with the loss of 96 jobs, in order to transfer production to a site in the Netherlands. 06-Oct-2000
LPC is to start recruiting 140 new employees at its paper mill in Leicester next February, following a £50m investment in a new mill and de-inking plant. 05-Oct-2000
Wheatley Packaging is creating an unspecified number of new jobs at its polythene packaging factory in Scunthorpe, following a £1.5m investment in a new printing press and new conversion and proofing equipment. 05-Oct-2000
Plymouth City Council is to close its bookbinding department in Plympton, with the loss of 13 jobs. 04-Oct-2000
Kimberly Clark is to set up a European service centre in Brighton, with the creation of about 300 jobs, and a site will be chosen next year. 03-Oct-2000
Ultimate Packaging, the flexible film printer, is combining its three sites in Brigg, Alford and Hull onto new £2m premises at the Europarc in Grimsby. 26-Sep-2000
Williams Lea has won a £210m contact from Axa to manage the insurance group's print production, which will involve the transfer of 17 employees. 25-Sep-2000
British Polythene Industries has rejected a £92m hostile takeover bid from Macfarlane. 22-Sep-2000
GEI is planning to cancel its stock market listing, having incurred significant restructuring costs in its packaging and processing business. 21-Sep-2000
Inveresk is to shed 70 jobs at its paper mill in Inverkeithing, and production will be transferred to four other sites. 19-Sep-2000
Rexam is looking to sell its beverage can plants at Runcorn, Gelsenkirchen in Germany and Marseilles in France, in order to win European approval for the acquisition of American National Can. 19-Sep-2000
Plastofilm Industries of the US is considering plans to close its thermoformed packaging products in Enniskillen, with the loss of about 20 jobs. 14-Sep-2000
The Book Service is planning a £5m expansion of its book warehouse facility at Frating in Essex, with the creation of 30 new jobs. 13-Sep-2000
SIG Pack is to relocate its Derby-based packaging equipment business and 70 staff to a smaller site in the city, after its Swiss parent group sold its Riley Automation division to a management buy-out. 11-Sep-2000
Polestar Scientifica is considering plans to close one of its printing businesses in Exeter, with the loss of 46 jobs. 08-Sep-2000
Molins is to cut its workforce from 815 to 576, due to falling demand for cigarette machinery. 06-Sep-2000
Rexam is in discussions to sell its coated films, papers and building operations in order to focus on consumer packaging, and expects to complete the disposals during 2001. 01-Sep-2000
Well Well Well is looking to recruit 10 engineers and five technicians at its mineral water plant in Cumbria, following a decision to manufacture PET bottle on-site. 30-Aug-2000
Tetra Pak is setting up a business service centre in Manchester with the creation of more than 50 jobs, in order to support its European and African packaging operations. 28-Aug-2000
Bath Press is planning to relocate its book manufacturing business from the centre of Bath to a greenfield site on the outskirts by 2003, and the company hopes to have selected the site by the end of this year. 23-Aug-2000
Mount Packaging Systems is consolidating its manufacturing plant and offices into a new 10,000 sq ft factory in Dewsbury, with the creation of 10 new jobs. 18-Aug-2000
Silverscreen Print, the Tyneside-based print company, has gone into liquidation with the loss of 150 jobs. 16-Aug-2000
CPC Packaging, the Paris-based company with three UK carton plants, is planning to acquire the Haferkamp Group of Germany, in order to become the second largest labels producer in Europe. 11-Aug-2000
Benson Box is to create an unspecified number of new jobs following a £10m investment in a new carton manufacturing facility at Bardon in Leicestershire. 04-Aug-2000
AEP Industries is to close its plastic packaging facility in North Baddesley with the loss of 32 jobs, but sales staff will be relocated to other sites. 03-Aug-2000
Cebal UK, the manufacturer of plastic tubes that is part of the Pechiney Group, is to close its plant in Corby later this year with the loss of 70 jobs. 02-Aug-2000
Senator Print Finishers, the Leicester-based print finishing company, has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms. 31-Jul-2000
Crystal Polymers, the Flixborough-based manufacturer of PET resin for carbonated soft drinks bottles, is to close with the loss of 23 jobs. 24-Jul-2000
Bristol Box Company has moved its corrugated cartons manufacturing business to larger premises at the Westerleigh Business Park. 19-Jul-2000
Bowmer & Kirkland is to start work on the development of a new £8m paper mill in Hamilton for LPC Group. 18-Jul-2000
Inglis Allen is planning to relocate its printing and finishing functions from Falkirk to Kirkcaldy, which will affect about 20 jobs. 14-Jul-2000
Low & Bonar, the plastics and specialist materials company, is looking to spend up to £100m on acquisitions, and is particularly interested in floor coverings used in airports and hospitals. 12-Jul-2000
Betts UK is to close its aluminium tubes division in Colchester, but will try to find alternative work for the 96 employees. 07-Jul-2000
Waddies has received £4m in financial backing in order to expand its printing business into the e-commerce sector and complete a move from Edinburgh to Livingston. 05-Jul-2000
Field Boxmore is considering plans to close its carton and label plant in Eastleigh, Hampshire, over the next nine months, with the loss of up to 80 jobs. 04-Jul-2000
Dexter Corporation is selling its Chirnside non-woven materials plant in Berwickshire to the Ahistrom Paper Group of Finland for £189m, which will involve the transfer of 230 employees. 03-Jul-2000
Linpac Metal Packaging is to close its factory in Woodley near Reading in September with the loss of 87 jobs, but will continue to manufacture at its South Wales site. 30-Jun-2000
Applied Optical Technologies, the developer of holographic materials for security and packaging applications, is building a new office and research laboratory at Grove Park near Enderby, with the creation of 40 jobs. 23-Jun-2000
Bezier is to close its Burgess greetings cards factory in Abingdon with the loss of 195 jobs, as many of its customers now have their own production capacity. 23-Jun-2000
Inveresk, the speciality paper company, is seeking partners following a decline in trading conditions. 22-Jun-2000
Labelsco, the Leicestershire-based producer of flexo printed labels, has invested £1.25m in new equipment as part of a strategy to increase sales by more than 50%. 22-Jun-2000
Smith Anderson is planning to stop production of polythene bags and film at its St John's Works in Fife, and some of the workers will be transferred to paper bag production. 21-Jun-2000
Danisco is to close its packaging factory in Stonehaven in November in order to transfer production to a new plant in Livingston, and the 45 staff will be offered the chance to relocate. 16-Jun-2000
Bemrose is to change its name to 4imprint Group and move to Manchester in the next six months, and has also announced the disposal of its three printing businesses to management for £28m. 16-Jun-2000
Symphony Plastics Technology, the manufacturer of degradable plastic packaging products, is planning to raise £3.2m in a share placing in order to fund overseas expansion. 12-Jun-2000
Cotswold Packaging is setting up a new warehouse at Bridgemead Close in Swindon for the distribution of its packing materials, static control products, and safety and hygiene products. 09-Jun-2000
Adare Printing, the stationery and printing group valued at about £63m, is considering plans for a management buy-out. 26-May-2000
Curtis Fine Papers is to shed about 40 of the 320 jobs at its Guardbridge paper mill in Fife, while a further 50 jobs will be axed at its Dalmore Mill near Penicuik. 26-May-2000
Arjo Wiggins Appleton, the paper group, has received a £2.2bn takeover approach from Worms & Cie of France. 17-May-2000
Superfos is to close its packaging plant on the Telford Way industrial estate in Kettering with the loss of 65 jobs, and work will be transferred to sites in Tamworth and Runcorn. 11-May-2000
JR Crompton, the Manchester-based supplier of tea bag paper, has announced a £84m refinancing package led by HSBC Private Equity. 09-May-2000
Cepac is creating a further 20 jobs at its recently-opened £20m corrugated cardboard factory near Rotherham. 04-May-2000
British Polythene Industries is planning to close its Bibby & Baron paper bag factory in Bury with the loss of 180 jobs, and work will be moved to another plant in Somerset where 50 new jobs will be created. 03-May-2000
Kelly Packaging of Dunston, Tyneside, is shedding 37 of its 135 workforce due to a fall in exports. 28-Apr-2000
Low & Bonar is in talks with venture capitalists and overseas trade buyers about the sale of its European packaging interests, in order to focus on speciality materials and plastics. 27-Apr-2000
Iggesund Paperboard is to install a £1.6m underground chip conveyor and control room for the wood yard at its Siddick plant in West Cumbria. 27-Apr-2000
Envases of Spain is to invest £5m in the expansion of its aerosol factory in Port Talbot, including a new manufacturing line and warehouse facilities. 25-Apr-2000
Supreme Plastics Group is planning to invest £2.5m at its Dunholme resealable bags factory in Lincolnshire, with the creation of about 40 jobs. 18-Apr-2000
Printhouse is to raise about £3.5m in a flotation on the Ofex market, in order to fund the development of an online printing services business. 18-Apr-2000
Ken Wilkins Print Group is investing £7m in new premises and equipment at its Colwick site in Nottingham, in order to expand the services offered to the food packaging sector. 13-Apr-2000
RPC is planning to set up a new £7m plastic packaging factory at Old Dalby in Leicestershire, with the creation of 50 jobs. 10-Apr-2000
TT Group is looking to raise £70m from the sale of its packaging division and other non-core operations, in order to focus on electronic components. 28-Mar-2000
HH Calmon is seeking voluntary redundancies among the 200 workers at its woven labels business in Keighley. 27-Mar-2000
Macfarlane is looking to spend up to £50m on acquisitions in order to expand its four main divisions - plastics, packaging, distribution and adhesive labels. 15-Mar-2000
Alida Packaging is to shed 80 of the 286 jobs at its polythene bags factory in Heanor, due to competition from the Far East. 15-Mar-2000
GBR Business Services is to shed up to half of the 52 jobs at its printing business in Lincolnshire, following a fall in demand for business forms. 13-Mar-2000
Structure-flex is forming a joint venture with Unsa of Turkey to produce large polypropylene bags for the chemicals industry at its site in Billingham. 13-Mar-2000
Rexam is planning to bid for Schmalbach-Lubeca, the German manufacturer of beverage cans which is expected to be sold off by Viag later this year. 10-Mar-2000
Decorative Sleeves, the King's Lynn-based supplier of packaging materials, and Decorative Labels of Wakefield have both been acquired by ITW of the US. 09-Mar-2000
Bemrose is planning to sell its printing operations in order to focus on the development of its new internet-based promotional goods business. 06-Mar-2000
DuPont is planning to invest £5.5m at its plastics factory in Cargenbridge, Dumfries, in order to increase flexibility in the polyester production section. 03-Mar-2000
Arjo Wiggins Appleton is to demerge its paper merchanting business into a new company called Antalis, allowing it to develop separately from its manufacturing business. 02-Mar-2000
Bunzl is planning to spend up to £200m on US and European acquisitions this year, in order to benefit from the growing trend towards outsourcing. 01-Mar-2000
Jarvis Porter has announced plans for a reorganisation of its printing and packaging business, which will involve the closure of sites in Leeds, Glasgow and Nottingham and the loss of about 300 jobs. 01-Mar-2000
Field Group and Boxmore have agreed to merge their European pharmaceutical and healthcare packaging operations into a single group with 24 sites in seven countries. 29-Feb-2000
British Polythene Industries is to cut at least 80 jobs in response to rising raw material prices, and is looking to restructure or sell many of its 60 UK sites. 29-Feb-2000
Kruger Tissue is to shed 45 of the 180 jobs at its tissue factory in Penygroes near Caernarfon. 24-Feb-2000
Sappi Europe is planning to close the cast-coated paper operation at its Blackburn mill, with the loss of up to 60 jobs. 18-Feb-2000
Bull Card Systems is to set up a new headquarters for its plastic cards business at the Solent Business Park in Fareham, which will involve the relocation of some staff from West Byfleet and the creation of 90 new jobs. 17-Feb-2000
Low & Bonar is planning to relocate its head office from Dundee to London, and sell off its European packaging business for about £60m. 16-Feb-2000
UCB Films has won planning permission from Allerdale Council to extend its Wigton plant, with the creation of 60 jobs. 10-Feb-2000
Devonshire Press, the Torquay-based printing company, is shedding 30 jobs following a fall in orders. 02-Feb-2000
Mayfair Print, the Wearside-based printing company, has closed with the loss of 77 jobs. 02-Feb-2000
Field Group is in discussions to buy SCA's folding cartons business at Pollokshaws near Glasgow, which would involve the transfer of staff to Field's plant at East Kilbride. 31-Jan-2000
International Greetings, the supplier of wrapping paper and greetings cards, is to close its Copywrite factory in Manchester in March, and has acquired new premises in Hatfield. 27-Jan-2000
United Glass is to create a new UK headquarters at its existing site in Harlow, and 90 staff will be relocated from St Albans. 24-Jan-2000
Field Group is to streamline its cartons division in Thatcham, which could lead to the loss of up to 95 jobs. 17-Jan-2000
Smith Anderson is to cut 60 of the 420 jobs at its Leslie papermill and Kelty recycling plant in Fife. 17-Jan-2000
The information below comes from the
UK Activity Report.
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