Work is currently underway on a new EPS foam moulding plant in the UK. The investment is being made by the US company Tuscarora Inc (800 Fifth Avenue, New Brighton, PA 15066, USA) and the new facility should be operational during the second quarter 1996. The new plant based in Spennymoor, near Newcastle, follows on from Tuscarora's move into the European market last year with the purchase of M.Y. Trondex which has plants in Northampton and Glasgow in the UK. Now operating under the Tuscarora name the company is a major custom moulder of expanded foam plastics for protective packaging.

Tuscarora, established since 1962, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of moulded foam plastics packaging serving the computer, consumer electronics and major appliance industries. It operates 28 plants, mainly in the USA with 1,400 employees and 1995 turnover was $ 163m with profits of $ 15m.