Home Local News MP opens SCA’s multi-million pound investment at Skelmersdale

MP opens SCA’s multi-million pound investment at Skelmersdale

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SCA ribbon cutting (640x425)
Photo: Rosie Cooper MP (right) cuts the ribbon for the opening of the new production line at the SCA Skelmersdale mill. Also pictured are l-r: The Mayor of West Lancashire, Councillor Nikki Hennessy; SCA regional supply director Tony Richards; site manager Mark Mannering; and Lancashire County Councillor John Fillis

A multi-million pound investment by tissue makers SCA has created 140 more jobs at its Skelmersdale mill and a new distribution centre in Ashton-in-Makerfield.

Construction work that was started 18 months ago at the Skelmersdale site on Pimbo Road has now been completed.

A new production hall has been built and 10 additional lines have been installed, with the final one being officially opened by Rosie Cooper, the MP for West Lancashire, at a ceremony on Friday, 17 July.

SCA is one of the largest consumer tissue companies in the UK with household brands including Plenty, Velvet and Cushelle. Its investment at Skelmersdale has doubled the amount of output produced at the site, which now employs 286 people with another 57 at Ashton-in-Makerfield.

Skelmersdale has become the global company’s second largest tissue production site in Europe for the ‘Away-from-Home’ professional market – producing Tork-label products for major customers including local authorities, the NHS, hotel chains and motorway services.

A converting mill, the Skelmersdale site takes in giant ‘mother reels’ of paper made at other SCA mills in the UK and converts this into the finished products.

As well as the Tork brand, its products include Velvet tissues and ‘own brand’ tissue products for leading supermarket chains.

Site manager Mark Mannering said: “SCA is a leading global hygiene and forest products company and this major investment underlines its commitment to the long-term future of the Skelmersdale operation.

“It’s a great vote of confidence in the skills of our workforce here in the North West and is very good news, not only for the site, but also for the wider local economy.”

The line which Rosie Cooper has officially opened is the new Tork SmartOne line, a state-of-the-art single sheet dispensing system that reduces toilet tissue consumption and costs for professional customers by up to 40%.

Other new lines at the mill include Europe’s first single dispenser for paper napkins, an innovative system designed to save consumption and costs for customers such as fast food restaurants.

The increased production at the mill will reduce imports from other European sites to the UK market and also give the mill a greater capacity for exporting its products overseas.

Rosie Cooper commented: “The fact that major international companies such as SCA are investing in West Lancashire is very welcome news.

“We have a great deal to offer in terms of skills and infrastructure, and developments such as this can only encourage other companies to look to West Lancashire for their future growth.”

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