Packaging firm Saica unwraps £50m+ investment in Scotland

Packaging specialist Saica Group has unveiled a £50 million plus investment in Scotland – planning to create a purpose-built production facility in Livingston.

Saica Pack said it is taking a 'significant step forward in Scotland'. Picture: contributed.

Describing the move as showing its dedication to the Scottish market for the long term, the firm said the site will sit in its packaging business division Saica Pack, and will offer the “latest technologies, whilst at the same time increasing Saica’s commitment to the creation of sustainable packaging solutions in Scotland”.

The packaging business will be transitioning from a two-site structure with the decommissioning of its Edinburgh and Milngavie sites to one main plant in Livingston. The new site will be completed by the end of 2021.

The firm told The Scotsman that it has 241 staff in total in Milngavie and Edinburgh – 94 in the former and 147 in the latter. Its Grangemouth Sheet Plant will be unaffected by this announcement.

How the new state-of-the-art facility is expected to look. Picture: contributed.

A spokesman said: “On the transfer, we are expecting the vast majority of the roles at the new plant will be our existing teams. We expect there will be a small number of new roles at the new plant, but we reiterate our desire to retain the skills of our current workforce as much as possible.

Saica, which is ultimately headquartered in Spain, said changes in customer demand, aging facilities and “challenges associated with existing site locations” led it to take a “major step” to increase Saica Pack’s capacity and offering for its customers.

Adam Haycock, regional director for Saica Pack Scotland, said: “This is a landmark day for Saica Pack and the wider company, as we take a significant step forward in Scotland. Once fully operational, our new Livingston site will offer the latest and most innovative technologies while improving our service and capacity.

“This new site gives us the capacity to invest further in the future as we want to remain a leading provider of corrugated packaging in Scotland and enhance our offering to our customers.”

The firm stressed that a strategically planned transition period will mean no disruption for customers as Saica continues to operate from both its two current operating units in Scotland and its network of operations across the UK and Europe.

Saica, which provides sustainable recycled paper, corrugated cardboard packaging and flexible packaging manufacturing services as well as waste management and recovery, said it will be working alongside its staff at the two existing sites, and will ensure all employees continue to be involved and updated regularly during the transition.