CHEMICALS company Scott Bader UK has announced plans to invest £30 million in its manufacturing site at Wollaston.
The five-year programme is due to begin this year, with £8 million earmarked for the first phase of work.
The aim is to bring greater flexibility to the plant, the company says, enabling quicker turnaround times and the scaling up of new technologies that meet growing market demand for high-performance solutions that also deliver sustainability advantages.
The Wollaston site near Wellingborough employs 300 staff and has been home to the development of technologies used all over the world since the 1940s. Speciality materials made at the plant are used in products ranging from wind turbine blades and super yachts to skincare, 3D printing resins and structural adhesives used to bond battery trays in electrical vehicles and solar panels to roofs.
Chief executive Kevin Matthews pictured left said: “This announcement reaffirms our commitment to the UK supply chain and to all our colleagues, partners and associates that benefit from our long-standing presence at Wollaston. In addition, the investment will upgrade our capability to continue to develop and supply new sustainable performance materials designed to help our customers on their journey to net zero.”
Scott Bader has invested heavily at its facilities in the UK and elsewhere as it develops more sustainable alternatives and innovations to reduce the weight of composite parts for markets such as electric vehicles, renewable energy and land transportation, as well as the development of bio-based ingredients for the personal care market.
As well as its investment in the UK, Scott Bader has built a €21 million laboratory facility in France, which is due to open in the next few months. A $16 million manufacturing plant iin the USA is due to be fully operational later this year.
These investments are designed to bring Scott Bader’s capabilities closer to its global customer base, helping with the longer-term goal of shortening supply chains and lowering the carbon footprint associated with transporting goods, the company says.