Southampton based polythene manufacturer, Polystar Plastics, is all set to produce an additional 2,000 tonnes of polythene per month in the UK.

This will give the company an overall capacity of 40,000 tonnes per year and offer buyers an alternative to the currently uncertain European market.

Following the recent European referendum result, companies buying polythene-based materials from the continent now run the risk of being affected in the short-to-long term by potential issues with economic growth, interest rates, exchange rates, trade and transport regulations and production or demand levels.

This increase in production volume is the end result of a £5m investment that will see Polystar become one of the largest independent polythene producers in the UK.

Suchin Talwar, commercial director of the family run firm said: “Although we’re well known in industrial & agricultural sectors, this new phase in our expansion allows us to move into other sectors like the food, beverage & pharmaceutical markets. Our absolute belief in what we are doing and the resulting growth of the company is something for the UK manufacturing industry to be proud of – especially considering the uncertainty that’s been caused by the Brexit vote.”

30-40 new jobs, ranging from sales executives to technical engineers, will be created in order to fully staff the new buildings that have created an additional 2,000m2 of factory and office space. The two new factories/extrusion halls will eventually house a number of brand new CO-EX machines (ranging from 3-7 layers), each with a fully automated profile control system and full BRC and ISO 9001 certification. The company said the creation of these new lines will push Polystar Plastics in to a new realm of polythene manufacturing.

Ongoing product research has seen the development of two environmentally beneficial alternatives to standard polythene. Polystar said its exclusive Tristar and Biofilm materials not only reduce the consumption of oil-based polymer, thereby improving the carbon footprint; but they can also offer substantial cost savings against standard materials. The growth in demand for these products, as companies strive to improve their green credentials, has driven the need for expansion.

Polystar Plastics, formed in 1993 by directors Sue and Jai Talwar, is now spearheaded by siblings Suchin and Rebecca Talwar. The company has enjoyed successive years of strong organic growth – in the last 10 years alone, turnover has increased from £3.5m to £22m and profitability has risen significantly. The company presently employs 120 members of staff and the current expansion puts the business on track to double over the next five years.

Suchin added, “Our success to date has been largely down to our own drive and commitment but more importantly our loyal workforce, customers and suppliers. Without these elements, it would not have been possible to consistently sustain our growth at the rate we have over the last 23 years. As a result we are now in the fortunate position to be able to embark on such an expansion because of the solid foundation that is already in place. We are all very excited about what this new chapter promises to deliver.”

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