Packing venture set to stack up 40 new jobs

A new venture is to be set up at Hillington creating 40 full-time jobs.

Mailway Packaging Solutions, one of the UK's leading contract packers, has joined forces with Glasgow-based Benchmark Promotional Support Services.

They will provide specialist packaging mainly for the whisky industry in Scotland.

Russell Cohen, managing director of Benchmark, said: "Although there is a credit crunch, the one industry that does not seem to feel the impact as much as other industries is Scotch whisky.

"We support the Scottish whisky industry by way of specialist contract packaging.

"We also supply the Scottish wholesale industry in general and have customers in the publishing industry and across the food and drinks sector. The joint venture will bring together Mailway's specialist equipment and combine that with our plant here.

"Working together with Mailway we can build on our long standing client relationships and implement tried and tested systems to further enhance performance."

The new company will initially offer general contract packing services including steam shrink sleeving, premium gift set management, whisky tub making and filling.

It also aims to quickly bring its premises up to the relevant standards to allow it to provide food, beauty care and fine fragrance packing.

Stewart Clough, sales director of Mailway Packaging Solutions and a director of the new company, said: "We have been supplying our Scottish based clients from our main site in Yorkshire for in excess of ten years.

"However it became apparent that a more local contract packing operation for this element of our business made perfect sense.

"We are excited about the opportunity to bring our innovative and technically driven contract packing solutions to new and existing clients in this growing market."

The new venture is being supported by Scottish Enterprise whose director of food and drink is Maggie McGinlay.

She said: "The new Mailway Scotland facility is an exciting development.

Current Mailway customers in Scotland will be the first to benefit from the launch of Mailway Scotland, which will be operational from early 2009.