MP Cuts Ribbon in Wellington

On 23rd September 2015, we hosted a press event to celebrate the inauguration of our state-of-the-art corrugator in Wellington, Somerset, following a £5 million investment. Cutting the ribbon at the ceremony was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Taunton and Deane, Rebecca Pow MP.

Mrs Pow gave a short presentation and outlined the high-level plans in place to enhance and further develop the South-West as a region for many businesses. She explained that plans are already in place to improve Junction 25 of the M5 as well as create a new link from Ilminster at the end of the A303 to improve traffic flow to Taunton and the M5. She also explained how the region has seen many new companies choose Taunton and district as their new ‘homes’ and there are many housing development projects to ensure there is adequate housing for the employees of many of the new companies to the region. Mrs Pow mentioned several companies that were using Wellington as their base, thanks in part to the proximity of the M5 and the access that grants to Devon and Cornwall.

The expansion of the site in Wellington has been fast by anyone’s standards. Established in 2013 as a distribution hub for its customers in the South-West of England, the company had always said it would ramp up the capacity of the site so they could install a range of box making machines. Once the printing and die-cutting machines were installed during late 2013 and early 2014, corrugated sheets were produced at the company’s Desborough (Northants) headquarters and shipped to Wellington for printing and assembly. “We realised quite early on that eventually, we would have the required capacity to install a corrugated board making machine at the Wellington site,” explained Richard Coward, Group Managing Director. “In early 2015, we were satisfied that the volumes were being achieved that justified the purchase of a small corrugator — we chose to work with a leading Italian machine-maker, BP Agnati, and specified a Quantum corrugator.”

The majority of the 65 staff employed at the Wellington facility are from the local community. The company is aiming to employ around 100 people within a year. A detailed training scheme has been put in place to ensure operators achieve the highest levels of productivity in a safe and friendly environment.

In the pictures: Left to right: Michael Schmiedt (BP Agnati), Rebecca Pow MP, Alberto Brivio (BP Agnati), Richard Coward (Group Managing Director, Rigid Containers) and Thilo Konig.