A Welshpool company which has invested £5 million in state-of-the-art machinery to create 50 new jobs has been named Powys Business of the Year. Wipak UK, located at Buttington Cross Enterprise Park, picked up the award at the Powys Business Awards 2022.
The firm, which makes high-barrier packaging films for preserving and protecting food products, has a turnover of £30m and 107 employees. It is looking to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025.
Following a comprehensive training programme for operators on the new machinery, several exciting new products have been developed, including an advanced, low carbon footprint, aluminium butter wrap for a new market.
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Managing director Andrew Newbold said: “What I like about this award is that it’s about all our employees, not just one person or one product. We have won it because of what they have achieved collectively. They have embraced the development plan and are an amazing group of people."
The judges said: "Wipak has a strong leader, has invested in local people and put them at the heart of the company. They have established themselves as market leaders by continuing to invest in their manufacturing capability and in the development of new products.
"They are making a positive environmental contribution by taking decisive action and challenging traditional methods. We believe they will be an inspirational and worthy ambassador as a standard bearer for Powys."
Powys Business Awards are organised by Mid Wales Manufacturing Group.
Richard Glover-Davies received the entrepreneurship award, with his companies gloversure and Montgomeryshire Homes in Welshpool. Montgomeryshire Homes won the small business award. There was more success for Welshpool as Morland UK won the growth award.
Nomadic Washrooms, based in Forden, was announced as winner of the start-up business award. PM Training and Assessing won the micro business award and The Cellar Drinks Company won the small business growth award.
The Game Change Project CIC, who work with disengaged young people from a farm base in Aberhafesp, near Newtown, won the social enterprise / charity award.
Newtown’s biggest employer, Nidec – Control Techniques, received the technology & innovation award.
The Judges’ Special Award to recognise an outstanding achievement by a business or person who were not category winners, went to Radnor Hills, Knighton.
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