A £1.3 m investment at Vernacare’s flagship manufacturing facility in Chorley into an additional ‘state-of-the-art’ wet wipes machine, which came on stream on 1 September, will significantly increase manufacturing capacity at the facility.
CEO, James Steele, said: “During the past 18 months, we worked incredibly hard to supply crucial products to healthcare environments worldwide. It is fantastic that as a British manufacturer, we are expanding on what we already have at Matrix Park in Chorley, and continue to invest and employ in the local area, with the backing of our investors, HIG.”
In March this year Vernacare acquired Robinson Healthcare, which brought with it additional manufacturing capacity in the North of England, with the addition of two wet wipes manufacturing lines and fluid mixing facility.
Global Category Director, Rachel Downham (pictured), said: “The new machine in Chorley will produce wet wipes for patient bathing, hand hygiene, surface cleaning, and disinfection – providing improved flexibility, giving us the ability to develop products, and offering an even more bespoke service to our valued customers.”
Senior Product Manager, Elizabeth Jamieson, added: “A core area of focus of the new machine is sustainability and further improving the environmental impact of our wet wipe product ranges. We’re continuously looking to reduce plastic waste, while working toward the inclusion of recycled plastic content across several packaging formats. Many of our latest wipe developments are manufactured from sustainable, 100 per cent plastic-free plant-based materials.”
Vernacare continues with ongoing efforts to make single-use products sustainable. The new machine will enable the production of larger flow-wrap packs with clip-lock lids, providing a viable alternative to wipes housed in large plastic containers.
