UK-based company Parkside produces a range of printed lidding and base films for the global protein market and plans to invest in its Kuala Lumpur site. The investment will include the purchase of a new slitter and full plate-making technology which, the company claims, will help the site be self-sufficient in its end-to-end manufacturing process.
A 10-colour flexographic press will also be transferred from the UK plant to Malaysia to bolster the company’s ability to grow production in Asia.
‘Leading player’
“The print and packaging industry in Asia is beginning to accept and recognise the cost and efficiency advantages that flexographic printing can bring to their operations,” said John Taylor, general manager at Parkside Asia.
“As a leading player in this field in Europe, Parkside is eager to demonstrate its abilities in Asia and ensure its increasing number of customers in the region have access to local facilities and capabilities. This investment will enable us to offer our international customers the high level of service they are used to from our UK operations and for Asia to build on this strength with local manufacturing, service and support.”
The new machinery is expected to be in place in Malaysia by the end of the second quarter of the year and Parkside does not expect to experience significant downtime when production starts. This is because machine operators from the Kuala Lumpur site have been trained up in the West Yorkshire plant by senior Parkside technicians.
The site back in Malaysia employs around 40 people and primarily manufactures plastic packaging for the tobacco industry, but also lidding and base films for the meat industry.