2 minute read - 17th October 2022
Guala Closures to invest £36m in a superfactory
Guala Closures is to invest £36m in a state-of-the-art superfactory that will secure its future in Scotland. The investment includes a £3.3m grant from Scottish Enterprise and will see Guala Closures continue their operations in Scotland after planning permission was approved for a new ultra-modern facility in Gartcosh, Lanarkshire.
The announcement safeguards the jobs of over 400 employees currently at the company’s existing sites in Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, and two sites at Kirkintilloch in East Dunbartonshire, who will now be merged at the new centrally-located factory.
It will be one of the largest in the Guala Closures Group and will allow the company to increase capacity, boost productivity, provide room for future growth and investment and create their own research and development lab space. Construction is due to start next month and is expected to be completed by the end of December 2023, with operations due to begin from January 2024.
Guala Closures is to invest £36m in a new state-of-the-art superfactory in Lanarkshire / Picture: Guala Closures
Headquartered in Italy, Guala Closures is the only manufacturer of closures to the whisky industry in Scotland and produces bottle pouring mechanisms for customers including Diageo, Chivas, Edrington and Wm Grants.
The Guala Closures Group operates in five continents through 30 production plants generating a sales revenue of €600m. Scottish Enterprise has approved the sale of land at Gartcosh Business Interchange to Guala for the development. The 220,000 sq. ft factory will be built on a 15-acre site.
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Ken Moran general manager for Scotland at Guala Closures, said: “This investment confirms the Guala Closures Group’s commitment to developing one of its largest markets and underlines our determination to support customers, employees, suppliers and the Scottish economy.
“The new plant will benefit from investment in innovative technology, enhancing productivity, process capability, closure functionality, and importantly, to contribute to the delivery of the Group’s sustainability strategy and core objectives.”
Ivan McKee, Scotland’s business minister, added: “This long-term commitment to Scotland by a valued inward investor is excellent news. I had the opportunity to meet Guala in Italy in February 2019 when discussions on their future strategy for Scotland began. Guala are critical to the whisky industry here in Scotland, this investment in particular will safeguard 400 jobs in the industry as well as have a positive impact on the Scotch whisky supply chain in Scotland.
“Latest exports of whisky, which now exceed pre-pandemic levels, underline the importance of the whisky sector’s contribution to the economy, providing over £5.5 billion in gross value added to the economy and employing 11,000 people in Scotland.”