Neil Gray, Member of the Scottish Parliament, has performed the official opening duties on a £13.5 million plant for Compack Cartons in Livingston.
The operation, acquired by McLaren Packaging in 2017, has moved from an 740m2 factory to a 6,100m2 site with new press, new platen, foiling and embossing machinery and avast increase in onsite storage
The investment has been backed by Scottish Enterprise, reflected by the MSP conducting the ribbon cutting ceremony. McLaren says the investment safeguards 59 jobs and will create a further 26 new jobs over the next two years.
A Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106X offering eight colours and three coaters in a single pass will be the centrepiece of the production floor. This is supported by a Bobst Expertcut cutting and creasing platen. McLaren has also invested solar panels to generate 188kW, insulated roof, heat recovery technology to minimise the carbon impact of the operation.
The strategy is to expand the amount of work that is currently outsourced to other carton printers, many south of the Scottish border. McLaren Packaging managing director Donald McLaren says the investment demonstrates “our long term commitment to the future of premium and luxury packaging produced in Scotland”.
He adds: “We foresee significant opportunity for locally sourced packaging and this expansion will allow us to offer a comprehensive portfolio of eco conscious packs to the market. There is considerable client interest for this proposition and the venture will enable us to deliver on this opportunity.
“The investment also allows us to vertically integrate by bringing our existing material purchasing in-house for conversion in other areas of our business. We are proud to be a wholly independent Scottish manufacturer providing high quality products to both global and local clients.”
It continues a strategy of investment and expansion for its businesses. In 2022, the company spent £4.3 million on new machinery including an automated rigid box making line for its Blue Box operation in Stirling. This moved to a new factory in 2018. Group sales increased from £32.8 million to £38.8 million.
McLaren sets out the corporate strategy as increasing cross selling between its corrugated, tubes, cartons, rigid box and solid board businesses. “This is proving to be a compelling proposition for key customers,” he says in the annual report, who are looking for “a reliable and local manufacturing partner”.
Compack managing director Steve Railton says: “The larger production facility and industry leading machinery gives Compack the capability to better serve the needs and growth aspirations of our key customers responsibly. Our goal is to have the most energy efficient, sustainable facility in the UK.”
“Our new facility expands our production capacity significantly, enables us to attract and retain highly skilled staff and create new skilled jobs in Central Scotland for young people. It also gives us the ability to manufacture short runs, to short lead times with a short supply chain to local and international companies based in the UK.”
McLaren is a key strategic supplier to the drinks and local food industry in Scotland.
Neil Gray is Wellbeing Economy Secretary in the Scottish Government. He says: “I was delighted to be able to visit Compack Cartons’ new facility and see how Scottish Enterprise grant support for the investment will allow the company to expand its operations and workforce, helping us strive toward our ambition of becoming the home of low carbon manufacturing innovation.
“Not only will this project create 26 new skilled jobs, through the company’s sustainable practices, it will help us in our aim to reach net zero by 2045 and create a wellbeing economy.”
