100 new jobs created in Telford firm's £1 million expansion
More than 100 jobs will be created as packaging specialist Sirane expands its Telford manufacturing operation.
The investment, which will be worth more than £1 million, will also see the installation of a water-based print press.
The packaging development and manufacturing company, which specialises in absorbent materials, bags, pouches, films and board products, has taken an additional 32,000 sq ft on Stafford Park.
Simon Balderson, Sirane MD, said: “This is big news for us, as it will allow us to significantly expand our Telford operation, and give us the room to install new machinery, and to keep ahead of growing demand.
“Part of the expansion will include a state-of-the-art water-based print press, which should be installed in the unit with a couple of weeks.
“Not only will this allow us to bring much of our printing in house, but it will also mean we can offer a truly environmentally-friendly print service.”
The firm believes the printing operation will be the first in the UK to operate using solely water-based printing – meaning there is no solvents to be disposed of after printing, and no harmful emissions.
Peter Ralten, head of specialist packaging, said: “The new print press will allow us to run a more environmentally-friendly print operation, and has been driven by customers asking for a more sustainable solution.
“Using our paper-based packaging, Earthfilms and Earthpouch, we will be able to use water-based inks to offer what the market is demanding.”
The new unit – just a few doors down from its existing site on Stafford Park 6 – will also house a range of bag-making machines.
The expansion and new jobs are as a result of significant growth in both the firm's food packaging and medical and healthcare divisions. In particular, there has been significant growth in its eco-friendly packaging films, and also in its medical specimen transportation range.
The expansion brings its total manufacturing space in Telford to about 140,000 sq ft. The company also has a site in Norbury, Staffordshire.
Earlier this year, Sirane acquired Olympic Packaging – now known as Sirane Stroud – which is a manufacturer and converter of board products, based in Gloucestershire, supplying the bakery, fish and cake industries among others.
Sirane has four main divisions – food packaging, medical and healthcare, horticultural and industrial. The company has additional manufacturing in Guadalajara in Mexico, Wroclaw in Poland and Moscow in Russia.
