German manufacturer breaks ground on ‘colossal’ £75m factory in Ellesmere Port

German manufacturing group Progroup has broken ground on a multi-million scheme in Ellesmere Port that will eventually become the world’s biggest corrugated cardboard manufacturing facility.

The company is delivering the £75m development, with support from Peel Logistics Property, on the former 45-acre Cabot Carbon site next to the M53.

Spanning 327,976 sq ft, the plant will generate up to 5.4 billion sq ft of cardboard each year when fully operational in Q4 2018.

The operation will replace the current facility run by manufacturer Prowell, part at Progroup, at Pioneer Business Park.

Peel Logistics Property’s James Whittaker said: “It’s fantastic that post the Brexit decision a European operator such as Prowell is committed to investing and expanding their operation in Ellesmere Port, giving manufacturing and the economy a huge boost in the region.

“Enabling works that includes remediation of the site and construction will progress in tandem to ensure we deliver this colossal facility by quarter four in 2018.”

Progroup CEO Jürgen Heindl commented: “There is a correlation between the timing of building a new plant in the UK and the impending Brexit.

“It sends a strong signal and shows that Progroup believes that the economy and the manufacturing sector in the United Kingdom will develop positively over the long term.”

He continued: “From my perspective, manufacturing will become increasingly important as the British economy restructures after Brexit.

“For this to happen, the competitiveness of industry in general needs to be strengthened. Prowell is gearing up for this with the most efficient flagship plant in the industry and will adopt a ‘low-cost, high-tech’ strategy.”

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