Northwood Group successfully launched Northwood Consuma Tissue (NCT) in December 2022, the company announces now the expansion of its converting capability with the purchase of a new 14-acre (5.7 hectares) site housing a 235,000 sq ft (22,000 sq m) facility in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. This will dramatically increase the available output of toilet tissue and kitchen towel and allows the company to be true cross-category paper partners to its premium grocery customers.
A brand new, high speed, state-of-the-art and fully automated line will be commissioned and operational during Q 3 2023. Phased installation of a further 3 lines will give the site a total finished roll product output of more than 55,000 tonnes per annum.
In addition to mainstream toilet tissue and kitchen towel output, NCT in Grantham will retain its point of difference in Facial, Toilet Tissue and Kitchen Towel with specialist print, lotion, fragrance and added-value capability for events and seasons, to protect the magic and to bring fun to the paper category.
As the largest private label facial tissues supplier in the UK, the Grantham site will remain NCT Head Office and a Centre of Excellence for the production of Facial Tissue. This site will benefit from further investment as we automate our downstream production lines.
Northwood Group has planning approval at the Disley Tissue Mill where advanced plans are in place to expand the paper-making facilities with the installation of a new 100% virgin paper machine with an output capacity of 70,000 tonnes. This is additional to the existing four paper mills which manufacture some 100,000mt of paper made from 100% recycled fibre across the UK and Spain.
All these exciting investments will cement Northwood Group as a fully vertically integrated supplier to both the retail and away-from-home sectors.