10/2/2010

Nearly 200 jobs are to be created in South Wales by Fillcare in a £7million investment that is being supported by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Fillcare, which manufactures and packages hair care and styling products for leading brands, purchased the former L’Oreal factory in Talbot Green last year and retained 66 employees.

Fillcare, which is wholly owned by Fareva Holding and the Group's only UK facility, is now expanding operations, manufacturing for other brands and moving into the aerosol market.

The UK aerosol market is the largest in Europe with a growing number of leading companies outsourcing production.

The investment in a new state-of-the-art facility, new equipment and production lines is supported by the Assembly Government through the Single Investment Fund and will create nearly 200 jobs over the next four years with recruitment anticipated to commence in Autumn 2010.

Announcing the news, Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the Economy and Transport, described it as a significant boost for the local economy and a vote of confidence in Welsh manufacturing:

"We are delighted to support this investment which will create a range of well paid jobs in an area that has suffered from job losses during the recession.

"An investment of this size during economically challenging times is excellent news and an important boost for the manufacturing sector. I know Fillcare is also very keen to build and develop a local supply chain which has the potential to bring considerable additional benefits to the wider economy."

The expansion involves the installation of three new manufacturing lines - capable of volume production with the capacity to fill up to 300 cans a minute. The equipment is due to be commissioned in April and, following trials and audits, will be in production later on this year.

Managing Director Thomas Jacquemet said the expansion into the aerosol market would complement the work currently undertaken at the facility and enable them to win significant new business with potential for further growth in the future.

He paid tribute to his workforce which now stands at 73 and said he was extremely keen to build up a local supply chain to source a range of goods including can manufacturers, bottle manufacturers, packaging and labelling companies:

"We are already in talks with a number of local companies regarding this and have already engaged a local company - Jordan Civil Engineering of Pontyclun – to carry out work on a new storage facility which is under construction on site.

"We have already won new orders providing contract manufacturing for established market brands and have the advantage of being able to offer them the latest technology, drawing on the expertise of the Fareva Group which has ten existing aerosol production facilities.

"The support of the Assembly Government and Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council has been vital for this development and I am looking forward to expanding the workforce, developing local people and working with local suppliers.

"This is an exciting period for Fillcare and this expansion will enable us to take advantage of new opportunities in the market servicing a number of premium brands."