26
NOVEMBER 2015 PRO INSTALLER
PRO NEWS
www.proinstaller.co.uk
Wales’ largest
glass processing
plant creates
27 jobs
The opening of Wales’ largest
glass processing plant at
Swansea docks is providing
a major jobs boost in the
area thanks to £1.9 million
investment package from the
Welsh Government, Finance
Wales and a consortium
of private investors.
Established in 2011 in Llandarcy, Glass Tech Recycling
(Glass Tech) has used the
funding package to relocate
to a bigger site at King’s
Dock in Swansea as part of
its development plans, creating an additional 27 jobs.
The new plant includes a stateof-the-art glass processing unit
which will enable the company to
convert glass into high-value glass
cullet which it can sell to manufacturers as a cost-effective raw
material.
Managing Director Karen John
believes the investment will help
Glass Tech take advantage of the
growing demand for recycled
glass. “Moving to a larger site has
enabled us to install the equipment we need to target lucrative
new markets and we now have
Wales’ only reprocessing unit capable of making pure glass cullet.
By being based in King’s Dock we
can easily export our product to
manufacturers overseas as well as
to the UK.
“The glass cullet market is central to our long-term growth and
the funding package from Finance
Wales, Welsh Government and
private investors has allowed us to
build it into our business model.
We’re forecasting strong growth
in the coming year and hope to
open a second site in 2016,” she
explained.
A support package of £320,000
from the Welsh Government’s Economic Growth Fund partly funded
Glass Tech’s expansion. Welcoming the news, Economy Minister
Edwina Hart said: “I am delighted
that Welsh Government funding
has supported Glass Tech’s expansion plans, enabling it to increase
its capacity and capability and
securing its long-term viability.
“Working in one of our key
sectors, Glass Tech’s investment
in the latest technology will
ensure it retains a competitive
‘In addition to providing a significant local jobs
boost, the new Swansea plant has drastically
increased Glass Tech’s scale and capacity’
edge, enabling it to access new
and expanding markets in the UK
and overseas while also supporting Welsh Government recycling
targets.”
Finance Wales Portoflio Executive, Nicola Griffiths helped to
structure a £500,000 equity and
mezzanine package for Glass
Tech. She said: “Karen is an experienced director with a strong
vision for the company, which has
already expanded significantly
over the last 4 years. I’m pleased
we’ve been able to join forces
with the Welsh Government and
other investors to help fund this
exciting move for Glass Tech.
“In addition to providing a
significant local jobs boost, the
new Swansea plant has drastically
increased Glass Tech’s scale and
capacity. It’s also cemented its
position as a UK leader in glass
processing, putting it on an even
stronger footing for the future.”
Commenting on behalf of the
consortium of private investors,
businessman Michael Shirley
said:
“We’re thrilled to be investing
again alongside the Welsh Government and Finance Wales to back
Glass Tech’s impressive expansion
plans. The vision of the management team maps out a bright
future for the company and we’re
excited to be part of its journey.
This is an example of a Welsh
business with a global vision.”
Having started out providing
customers in South Wales with
specialist glass recycling services,
Glass Tech then expanded into
the South West of England. Today,
the company offers customers a
brokerage service, arranging the
collection, sale and purchase of
materials such as steel, aluminium
and plastics.
Glass cullet is an increasingly
popular raw material used by
manufacturers because it can
reduce energy costs during the
manufacturing process.
It is estimated over 357,000
tonnes of glass were reprocessed
in the UK last year, with an average of up to eight jobs created
from every 1,000 tonnes of glass
recycled.
Contact Glass Tech Recycling
on 01792 321 020, visit www.
glasstechrecycling.co.uk or
email Karen@glasstechrecycling.
co.uk