A packaging firm has expanded its business after securing a contract to manufacture PPE for the NHS.
West Yorkshire-headquartered PFF Group has invested over £2 million after being contracted to supply 360 million disposable polythene aprons to the NHS.
Following the award of the contract, the food packaging firm installed smart engineering machines at its facility in Tyne and Wear and employed 100 additional members of staff as 24-hour production ramps up at the site.
Kenton Robbins, group managing director of the PFF Group, said, “We worked closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on due diligence ahead of our appointment as part of the Government’s ‘UK-Make’ initiative to source PPE from Britain. Demand for PPE has soared globally, with 210 million plastic aprons needed every week in the NHS alone.
“In just six months, in the midst of a pandemic and while continuing to support the UK’s food retail sector through the production and supply of food packaging, we worked in collaboration with the Hanbury-Autogil experts, to set up a new capability and capacity to manufacture disposable aprons. We have been able to design and build, two innovative, all-British machines that are the fastest and most reliable in the world, enabling us to significantly increase production.
“We are delighted to be able to use our specialist sector knowledge and in-house expertise to ensure the UK’s need for PPE can be met during and beyond the pandemic, as well as creating job opportunities across our two sites in the current challenging climate.”
