Guala Closures plans to transform new aluminium facility

The manufacturer of closures for spirits and wines has bought the Metalprint printing and cutting facility in Magenta near Milan in Italy.

It has also spent about €11m, or 3 per cent of its turnover, on machinery for the newly acquired plant in order to fulfill its ambition of creating a cutting edge facility, with technology that will last at least 25 years.

Green ambitions ​

One of the ambitions for the plant is that it takes a lead on the environmental front.

Guala said it will be one of the first plants in Europe to use “a green production line”, with a chromium-free aluminum treatment process and a painting system that does not use solvent-based paints. It has also pledged to reduce waste and improve production efficiency at the site.

Marco Giovanni, Guala CEO, said: “The acquisition of Metalprint and investment in new, ultra-modern and environmentally friendly technology will allow us to strengthen our position in the market and ensure that we are at the forefront of industry trends.” ​

Replacement facility ​

The new Magenta plant is to replace a printing facility in Basaluzzo which is now due for closure.

Although Guala is shutting up the facility, it said jobs would be transferred to company headquarters in Spinetta Marengo. The company added that the 56 jobs at the Magenta plant are also secure.

Founded in 1954, Guala Closures is an Italian-based company that distributes about 8bn closures a year in 60 countries.