The new in-plant run by plastics packaging manufacturer Nampak Plastics (Newport Pagnell / UK; www.eu.nampak.com) at Dale Farm’s (Belfast; www.dalefarm.co.uk) dairy in Ballymena, Northern Ireland has begun full operations. The company reports that the “hole in the wall” facility’s three blow moulding machines have begun supplying the dairy with 1 pint, 1 litre and 2 litre bottles, adding that it expects to bring on stream its fourth 2 litre machine at the end of this month. The plant will then have a weekly capacity of more than 2.5m bottles.

The new plant supports its regional development plans, Nampak said, adding that it believes that ongoing growth in distribution sales will increase the facility’s current staff of 16 to up to 25 by the end of the year.

Altogether, Nampak invested some GBP 3m in the project, which also received funding from Northern Ireland’s Economic Development Agency (www.investni.com) as well as the European Regional Development Fund (http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funds/feder/index_en.htm) – see Plasteurope.com of 17.03.2010.

Nampak also operates in-bottle plants in Glasgow, Oakthorpe, Severnside, Manchester and Chadwell Heath.